Boys aged 12 could be asked if they're pregnant under new NHS guidance

5 November 2022, 00:05

By Fran Way

@journofran

Boys under 12 could be asked if they are pregnant under new guidance from the NHS.

Posters on the walls of NHS Tayside hospitals in Scotland have been shared on social media.

They say that anyone aged between 12 and 55 ‘irrespective of gender’ could be asked if they are pregnant before a scan that exposes them to radiation.

The poster also doesn’t refer to any females, women or girls and instead says ‘only people who have internal reproductive organs have the ability to become pregnant’.

It says “Irrespective of gender you may be asked to complete a form about pregnancy before some examinations.

“It is our legal responsibility to establish whether there is a possibility of pregnancy before exposure to ionising radiation as a foetus is at higher risk from the potential harmful effects.

“Only people who have internal reproductive organs have the ability to become pregnant. We check this with each individual, and conduct a pregnancy check accordingly.”

Examples of the ionising radiation includes x-rays and CT scans which aren’t recommended for people who are pregnant.

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said the poster follows current guidelines which are being rolled out across the network.