An Australian anatomy professor, Dr. Kristin Small, is challenging the medical community to reconsider the names of certain body parts that she deems “outdated and misogynistic.” Dr. Small believes that anatomical terms like “Adam’s apple” and “Achilles tendon,” which are named after male figures, don’t represent everyone—even though these body parts exist in both men and women.

Dr. Small argues that these terms are not gender-specific, so their names should reflect that reality. She’s advocating for change that would make medical language more inclusive for all people, regardless of gender. By doing so, she hopes to influence the global medical lexicon, particularly in countries like Australia and the United States.

Beyond her role as a professor, Dr. Small is also a specialist obstetrician in Queensland. As a woman in the medical field, she is keenly aware of the language used in the community and feels it’s time for a change. She’s leading the movement to phase out names derived from “men, kings, and (male) gods,” replacing them with terms that are more inclusive and scientifically accurate.

“I believe we have a choice to ‘decolonize’ our language, and over time, these outdated terms will fade away,” Dr. Small told The Courier-Mail.

While she continues to use the current terminology in her exams, Dr. Small takes the opportunity to educate her students about alternative names that don’t center around male figures. Outside the classroom, she dedicates time to advancing this cause, advocating for updates that would make anatomical language more reflective of all people.

Dr. Nisha Khot, a council member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, supports Dr. Small’s push for change. She notes that younger doctors are often surprised when they learn the origins of some medical terms and are eager to adopt language that’s more relevant and inclusive.

One example of a term with sexist origins is “hysterectomy,” a procedure to remove the uterus. The term stems from the belief that women were more prone to emotional hysteria due to a supposed weaker constitution than men. Historically, doctors would remove a woman’s uterus to treat what they called “female hysteria.” Dr. Khot and other medical professionals are advocating for the term “uterectomy” instead. This updated term is not only anatomically accurate but also free from any historical bias toward male superiority.

“The movement for change might have started in women’s health, but it’s now spreading across the entire healthcare community,” Dr. Khot explained. “It just makes sense—not only for doctors but for patients as well—to use terms that are more understandable and inclusive.”

The push for renaming anatomical terms isn’t just about making the language more inclusive for women; it’s about creating a medical vocabulary that reflects the diversity of all people. Whether it’s common terms like “Adam’s apple” or “Achilles tendon,” the goal is to replace names that glorify historical male figures with more neutral, scientifically accurate alternatives. Even medical instruments, like the speculum—a tool used during gynecological exams—are named after historical figures with troubling legacies, such as American slave traders.

Dr. Small and her supporters are not only pushing to update medical terminology but also to challenge the longstanding tradition of naming body parts after men, reflecting a more inclusive, forward-thinking approach to healthcare.