Table 2.
Suitability and understandability of terms for the assessment of sex assigned at birth.
| How suitable are the following terms to assess the sex of patients or participants in clinical and other research studies? | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terms | First survey | Second survey | ||||||
| Answer Scale | ||||||||
| Very suitable n (%) |
Suitable n (%) |
Less suitable n (%) |
Not suitable n (%) |
Very suitable n (%) |
Suitable n (%) | Less suitable n (%) |
Not suitable n (%) |
|
| Femalea | 13 (76.6) | 4 (23.5) | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Malea | 13 (76.6) | 4 (23.5) | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Intersexa | 11 (64.7) | 4 (23.5) | 2 (11.8) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Diversea | 3 (17.6) | 1 (5.9) | 4 (23.5) | 9 (52.9) | – | – | – | – |
| Womanb | 1 (5.9) | 6 (35.3) | 2 (11.8) | 8 (47.1) | 1 (10.0) | – | 1 (10.0) | 8 (80.0) |
| Manb | 1 (5.9) | 6 (35.3) | 2 (11.8) | 8 (47.1) | 1 (10.0) | – | 1 (10.0) | 8 (80.0) |
| Transgendera | 2 (11.8) | 1 (5.9) | 4 (23.5) | 10 (58.8) | – | – | – | – |
| Trans womana | 2 (11.8) | 1 (5.9) | 4 (23.5) | 10 (58.8) | – | – | – | – |
| Trans mana | 2 (11.8) | 1 (5.9) | 4 (23.5) | 10 (58.8) | – | – | – | – |
| Trans-masculinea | 2 (11.8) | 2 (11.8) | 2 (11.8) | 11 (64.7) | – | – | – | – |
| Trans-femininea | 2 (11.8) | 2 (11.8) | 2 (11.8) | 11 (64.7) | – | – | – | – |
| Nonbinarya | 3 (17.6) | 2 (11.8) | 2 (11.8) | 10 (58.8) | – | – | – | – |
| Genderqueera | 2 (11.8) | 1 (5.9) | 3 (17.6) | 11 (64.7) | – | – | – | – |
| Genderfluida | 2 (11.8) | 1 (5.9) | 3 (17.6) | 11 (64.7) | – | – | – | – |
| Agendera | 2 (11.8) | 1 (5.9) | 3 (17.6) | 11 (64.7) | – | – | – | – |
| Something other than male or femaleb | 2 (11.8) | 4 (23.5) | 3 (17.6) | 8 (47.1) | – | 1 (10.0) | 2 (20.0) | 7 (70.0) |
| Sometimes male, sometimes femalea | 1 (5.9) | – | 3 (17.6) | 13 (76.5) | – | – | – | – |
| Person with vaginab,c | – | – | – | – | 3 (30.0) | 1 (10.0) | 1 (10.0) | 5 (50.0) |
| Person with uterusb,c | – | – | – | – | 3 (30.0) | 2 (20.0) | – | 5 (50.0) |
| Person with penisb,c | – | – | – | – | 3 (30.0) | 1 (10.0) | 1 (10.0) | 5 (50.0) |
| How easy to understand are the following terms when assessing sex? | ||||||||
| Answer Scale | ||||||||
| Very easy n (%) |
Moderately easy n (%) |
Moderately difficult n (%) |
Very difficult n (%) | Very easy n (%) |
Moderately easy n (%) |
Moderately difficult n (%) |
Very difficult n (%) |
|
| Femalea | 15 (88.2) | 1 (5.9) | 1 (5.9) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Malea | 15 (88.2) | 1 (5.9) | 1 (5.9) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Intersexb | 4 (23.5) | 6 (35.3) | 6 (35.3) | 1 (5.9) | 4 (40.0) | 3 (30.0) | 3 (30.0) | – |
| Diversea | – | 2 (11.8) | 7 (41.2) | 8 (47.1) | – | – | – | – |
| Womana | 8 (47.1) | 4 (23.5) | 3 (17.6) | 2 (11.8) | – | – | – | – |
| Mana | 8 (47.1) | 4 (23.5) | 3 (17.6) | 2 (11.8) | – | – | – | – |
| Transgender | 3 (17.6) | 5 (29.4) | 6 (35.3) | 3 (17.6) | 1 (10.0) | 4 (40.0) | 1 (10.0) | 4 (40.0) |
| Trans womanb | 2 (11.8) | 4 (23.5) | 8 (47.1) | 3 (17.6) | 1 (10.0) | 6 (60.0) | 2 (20.0) | 1 (10.0) |
| Trans mana | 2 (11.8) | 3 (17.6) | 9 (52.9) | 3 (17.6) | – | – | – | – |
| Trans-masculinea | 1 (5.9) | 1 (5.9) | 11 (64.7) | 4 (23.5) | – | – | – | – |
| Trans-femininea | 1 (5.9) | 1 (5.9) | 11 (64.7) | 4 (23.5) | – | – | – | – |
| Nonbinaryb | – | 6 (35.3) | 6 (35.3) | 5 (29.4) | 1 (10.0) | 1 (10.0) | 4 (40.0) | 4 (40.0) |
| Genderqueera | – | 1 (5.9) | 9 (52.9) | 7 (41.2) | – | – | – | – |
| Genderfluida | – | – | 9 (52.9) | 8 (47.1) | – | – | – | – |
| Agendera | – | 1 (5.9) | 8 (47.1) | 8 (47.1) | – | – | – | – |
| Something other than male or female | 2 (11.8) | 5 (29.4) | 5 (29.4) | 5 (29.4) | 2 (20.0) | 3 (30.0) | 4 (40.0) | 1 (10.0) |
| Sometimes male, sometimes femalea | 1 (6.3) | 2 (12.5) | 7 (43.8) | 6 (37.5) | – | – | – | – |
Terms in bold achieved a consensus of ≥70% in one of the two surveys, aterms reached a consensus in survey 1 and were not queried again, bterms reached a consensus in survey 2, cterms were requested by the experts and were newly introduced in the 2nd survey.