Language Matters: Standardizing the Terminology of Persistent Cloaca

jpedsurg.org

Medical language evolves as our understanding of biology, pathology, and patient experience deepens. In recent years, clinicians caring for both adult and pediatric patients with conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and substance use disorders have increasingly adopted person-first and patient-centered language to reduce stigma and promote more respectful, patient-centered communication.1 These shifts recognize that the words we use in clinical care and scientific writing shape how conditions are understood, not only by the medical community, but also by the patients and their families.

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Article · Apr 2026 · 1 min read

In brief

This article addresses the need to standardize terminology for persistent cloaca, a complex anorectal malformation, emphasizing the shift toward person-first and patient-centered language in pediatric urology. The discussion parallels broader medical trends in reducing stigma through respectful communication, recognizing that clinical terminology impacts both professional understanding and patient/family experience.

Medical terminology should evolve to reflect deeper understanding of biology, pathology, and patient experience.
Person-first language reduces stigma and promotes patient-centered communication in clinical care.
The words clinicians use shape how conditions are understood by both medical professionals and patients/families.
Recent shifts in language have occurred in diabetes, obesity, and substance use disorder care.
Standardizing terminology for persistent cloaca aligns with broader movement toward respectful clinical communication.

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