Develop a strategy to automatically tag historical and sensitive synonyms #7148
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I see documents like https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-10/OutdatedMedTerminology.pdf ChatGPT says:
Idiot, Imbecile, Moron: These were once actual diagnostic terms used to describe people with intellectual disabilities or low IQs. They are deeply offensive today. Hysteria: Originally used to describe a variety of psychological disorders or symptoms believed to be specific to women, derived from the Greek word for uterus. It reflected gender bias and misunderstanding of mental health. Mongolism: An outdated term for Down syndrome. This term is offensive and has been replaced with Down syndrome. Dwarfism: While still used in some medical contexts, it can be considered derogatory. "Short stature" or specific medical terms like "achondroplasia" are preferred. Cretin: An old term for someone with cretinism, a condition resulting from a thyroid hormone deficiency. It is now considered derogatory. Lunatic: Used historically for those with mental health issues, especially those thought to be influenced by the moon's phases. It's now seen as derogatory and insensitive. Retarded: Once a clinical term for delayed or stunted intellectual development, it is now widely regarded as a derogatory insult. Manic-Depressive: Previously used to describe what is now known as bipolar disorder. The old term is considered stigmatizing and simplistic. Feeble-minded: An archaic and offensive term for someone with intellectual disabilities. Addict: While still in common use, there is a growing movement in the medical community to use person-first language like "person with a substance use disorder" to reduce stigma. Inebriate: An old term for someone addicted to alcohol, replaced by terms like "alcohol use disorder" or "alcoholism." Invalid: A term historically used to describe a person with physical disabilities or chronic illnesses. It is now seen as demeaning and has been replaced with more specific medical descriptions. Midget: A derogatory term for a person of unusually short stature, often replaced by "person with dwarfism" or specific medical diagnoses. Deaf and Dumb/Deaf-Mute: Outdated and offensive terms for individuals who are deaf and do not speak. "Deaf" or "hard of hearing" are appropriate terms. The shift away from these terms reflects a broader move in medicine and society towards more respectful, person-first language that recognizes individuals' dignity and worth. This change is part of an ongoing effort to reduce stigma and discrimination in healthcare and society at large. We need a list we can use to get started. |
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I made a first pass at a test:
False positive
Lets not debate these concrete examples - the real issue is to identify a source of truth, or curate one, which collects terms like these with proper provenance! List of 297 synonyms which contain **potentially** derogatory, historical or harmful synonyms (according to ChatGPT)
I added additional action items to the first comment in this issue. |
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From @twhetzel
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another good resource: https://www.ohsu.edu/inclusive-language-guide (each section provides a list of hurtful terms). |
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CDC has lots of guidance on language to use when talking with people, but I wonder if some of it could be repurposed to show how not to label disease/phenotype states: https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/Resources.html |
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@sierra-moxon @sagehrke and @matentzn have started a formal side-project on this and are excited. Monarch people can join us in the |
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As per the last Mondo outreach call (thank you @sierra-moxon), it became clear that we need a strategy for handling historical and socio-politically sensitive (offensive) synonyms. The easiest way to deal with this would be a dictionary based approach.
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