Calderdale Council deletes cervical screening tweet referring to 'anyone with a cervix'

Thousands of women to trial at-home smear tests in bid to cut cervical cancer.
The tweet was part of a regional campaign aimed at encouraging the LGBTQ+ community to get screened for cervical cancer Credit: PA

A council has taken down a tweet encouraging "anyone with a cervix" to get screened for cervical cancer after an online backlash.

Calderdale Council said it should have been clearer that the post on Monday 11 April was part of a regional campaign aimed at the LGBTQ+ community.

The authority said health data shows fewer people in these groups come forward for screening and it would continue to do all it could to promote it.

In a thread on Twitter the next day Calderdale Council said: "We always try our best to make the language we use in our communications as inclusive as possible and on this occasion we should have been clearer.

"In view of that, we have deleted the earlier Tweet."

The retraction prompted a mixed response from the council's followers.

Many thanked the authority for deleting the post, with one saying "Well done. you can be inclusive and still call woman woman."

But another Twitter user replied with: "Your original comms & tweet was fine. Ignore the haters!"