The Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication suggest new descriptive terms for everyone from smokers, to anti-vaxxers, to criminals, according to a report.
Those who puff on cancer-sticks should no longer be called “smokers,” according to the CDC, but “people who smoke.”
The disabled shouldn’t be referred to as “differently abled,” but simply as “people with disabilities.”
And using the word “homosexual” is out in favor of a variety of alphabet soup terms, including “LGBTQ (or LGBTQIA or LGBTQ+ or LGBTQIA2),” according to the guide.
“The way people’s social identities overlap should be considered to better understand, interpret, and communicate health outcomes,” the agency said.
Poor people should be referred to as “with self-reported income in the lowest income bracket (if income brackets are defined).”
And don’t say “the black community.”
“If you are creating an image, do not illustrate the patient as a minority and the doctor as white; likewise do not illustrate a homeless person as a minority,” the CDC now says.
Even criminals are no longer criminals, but should be called “persons in pre-trial or with charge,” “persons on parole or probation,” or “people in immigration detention facilities.”
Hellbound and Down 