Person—gender, code X

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Standard 15/02/2022

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

This Value Domain is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables (ABS 2021). The values are defined as follows:

CODE 1     Man, or boy, or male

A person who describes their gender as man, or boy, or male.

CODE 2     Woman, or girl, or female  

A person who describes their gender as woman, or girl, or female.

CODE 3     Non-binary

A person who describes their gender as non-binary.

CODE 4     Different term

A person who describes their gender as a term other than man/boy/male, woman/girl/female or non-binary.

CODE 5     Prefer not to answer

A person who prefers not to respond on how they describe their gender.

Alternative Codes

The ABS Standard also allows for the following Alternative Code system, which can be mapped to the Codes specified above:

CODE M     Man, or boy, or male

CODE F     Woman, or girl, or female  

CODE X     Non-binary

CODE T     Different term

CODE Z     Prefer not to answer

Mapping Codes

The ABS Standard also allows for the categories for gender to be mapped as follows:

• Man, or boy

Includes CODE 1

• Woman, or girl

Includes CODE 2

• Non-binary

Includes CODES 3 and 4 

• Not stated

Includes CODES 5 and 9.

CODE 9     Not stated or inadequately described.

This supplementary value is used to code inadequately described responses and non-responses for gender. It is not to be used on primary collection forms. It is primarily for use in administrative collections when transferring data from data sets where the item has not been collected.

Former versions of this Value Domain contained only three permissible values:

CODE 1   Male

CODE 2   Female

CODE 3   Other (formerly 'Gender other/diverse')

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2021. Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables. Canberra: ABS, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standard-sex-gender-variations-sex-characteristics-and-sexual-orientation-variables/latest-release 

AGD (Attorney-General's Department) 2015. Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/australian-government-guidelines-recognition-sex-and-gender 

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Gender is a social and cultural concept. It is about social and cultural differences in identity, expression and experience as a man, boy, woman, girl, or non-binary person. Non-binary is an umbrella term describing gender identities that are not exclusively male or female.

Gender includes the following concepts:

• Gender identity is about who a person feels themself to be
• Gender expression is the way a person expresses their gender. A person's gender expression may also vary depending on the context, for instance expressing different genders at work and home
• Gender experience describes a person's alignment with the sex recorded for them at birth i.e. a cis experience or a trans experience.

The terms sex and gender are interrelated, and are often used interchangeably, however they are distinct concepts:

• Sex is understood in relation to sex characteristics. Sex recorded at birth refers to what was determined by sex characteristics observed at birth or in infancy
• Gender is about social and cultural differences in identity, expression and experience. 

While they are related concepts, caution should be exercised when comparing counts for sex with those for gender.

"The preferred Australian Government approach is to collect and use gender information. Information regarding sex would ordinarily not be required and should only be collected where there is a legitimate need for that information and it is consistent with Australian Privacy Principle 3.” (AGD 2015)

Standard Question Module

The following standard question module is based on that recommended in the Australian Bureau of Statistics Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables (ABS 2021):

How [do/does] [you/Person's name/they] describe [your/their] gender?

Gender refers to current gender, which may be different to sex recorded at birth and may be different to what is indicated on legal documents.

Please [tick/mark/select] one box:
[ ] Man, or boy, or male
[ ] Woman, or girl, or female
[ ] Non-binary
[ ] [I/They] use a different term (please specify)
[ ] Prefer not to answer

Mandatory elements
The following elements must be included:

• The word 'gender' in the question to clearly articulate the concept being collected
• Label the response options "Man, or boy, or male", "Woman, or girl, or female", "Non-binary", "[I/they] use a different term (please specify)", and "Prefer not to answer"
• A write-in facility is available when the "[I/they] use a different term (please specify)" response option is selected
• Including a note to respondents that "Gender refers to current gender, which may be different to sex recorded at birth and may be different to what is indicated on legal documents"
• Only one response is permitted
• If this question is interviewer administered, the question must always be asked as written and no assumptions made by the interviewer.

Recommended elements

The following elements are recommended for inclusion:

• Use inclusive language (e.g. "they" or "their" rather than "he/she" or "his/her")
• If both sex and gender questions are included, ask the sex question first and note that a separate question on gender is also asked 
• If both sex and gender questions are included, ask both on the same page if practical.

The Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender recommend "departments and agencies should refrain from making assumptions about a person's sex and/or gender identity based on indicators such as their name, voice or appearance" (AGD 2015.)

The inclusion of the write-in facility for 'Different term' as a response option recognises that there are a range of terms used to describe gender which is neither male nor female, and enhances data quality. Where the "Different term" code has been selected for gender, the data element Person—gender, text X[X(99)] may be used to capture any further (optional) specification of gender descriptors.

Note: Where written responses for CODE 4 (T) 'Different term' indicate a variation of one of 'Man, or boy, or male', 'Woman, or girl, or female' or 'Non-binary', those responses may be coded to the associated label.

A person's gender may stay the same or can change over the course of their lifetime. The gender response option chosen will reflect a person's gender at that point in time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender or with the concept of gender at all.

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2021. Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables. Canberra: ABS, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standard-sex-gender-variations-sex-characteristics-and-sexual-orientation-variables/latest-release 

AGD (Attorney-General's Department) 2015. Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/australian-government-guidelines-recognition-sex-and-gender 

Relational attributes