Identifying and definitional attributes | |
Metadata item type: | Data Element |
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Short name: | Sex of a person |
Synonymous names: | Sex characteristics of a person |
METEOR identifier: | 741686 |
Registration status: | Health!, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Superseded 27/03/2023 |
Definition: | The sex of a person, as represented by a code. |
Data Element Concept: | Person—sex |
Value Domain: | Sex code X |
Source and reference attributes | |
Submitting organisation: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. |
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Origin: | 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 |
Data element attributes | |
Collection and usage attributes | |
Guide for use: | The terms sex and gender are interrelated, and are often used interchangeably, however they are distinct concepts:
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) |
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Collection methods: | This Data Element may be used to collect either sex recorded at birth or sex reported at the time of collection. This information should be specified in the Data Set Specific Information in order to provide transparency about which type of data was collected. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables (ABS 2021) recommends that where data on sex is collected, the preferred question should relate to sex recorded at birth. Sex recorded at birth refers to what was determined by sex characteristics observed at birth or in infancy. This is an important indicator for statistical analysis in births and deaths, health statistics, calculating fertility rates and deriving counts for cis and trans populations. A data collection may instead collect data on a person's sex reported at the time of collection, rather than their sex recorded at birth. However, there are advantages of sex recorded at birth as the sex question and further data that can be derived when using sex recorded at birth as the sex question. Caution should be exercised when comparing counts for sex of a person recorded at birth and the sex of a person reported at the time of collection, as a person's reported sex may change over the course of their lifetime. Also, as the terms sex and gender are often used interchangeably, a respondent might provide a gender response to a sex question. Standard questionsSex recorded at birthThe ABS recommends the following standard question structure:
Mandatory elements The following elements must be included:
Recommended elements The following elements are recommended:
Sex reported at the time of collectionThe ABS recommends the following standard question structure:
Mandatory elements The following elements must be included:
Recommended elements The following elements are recommended for inclusion:
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 "Another term" as a third response option recognises that there are a range of terms used to describe sex which is neither male nor female, and enhances data quality. Where the "Another term" code has been selected for sex, the data element Person—sex, text X[X(99)] may be used to capture any further (optional) specification of sex descriptors. |
Comments: | Where this data element is used to record sex reported at the time of collection, the data may not be used to derive cis and trans counts through the 'two-step method'. |
Source and reference attributes | |
Submitting organisation: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
Origin: | ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2021. Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables. Canberra: ABS, viewed 25 February 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 26 February 2021 |
Relational attributes | |
Related metadata references: | Supersedes Person—sex, code X Early Childhood, Standard 24/07/2018 Health!, Superseded 15/02/2022 Homelessness, Standard 10/08/2018 Indigenous, Standard 16/10/2017 See also Person—gender, code X Health!, Standard 15/02/2022 See also Person—sex, text X[X(99)] Health!, Standard 15/02/2022 |
Implementation in Data Set Specifications: | Activity based funding: Mental health care NBEDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 17/12/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Admitted patient care NMDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Conditional obligation: This data element is collected on a Conditional basis with the element Person—gender, code X. Data must be reported for at least one of the two elements, either Sex or Gender. Data may be reported for both elements. DSS specific information: In the APC NMDS a person’s sex is understood to be reported as at the time of data collection. Alcohol and other drug treatment services NMDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 17/12/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Community mental health care NMDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 17/12/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Emergency service care NBEDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Conditional obligation: This data element is collected on a Conditional basis with the element Person—gender, code X. Data must be reported for at least one of the two elements, either Sex or Gender. Data may be reported for both elements. DSS specific information: In the ESC NBEDS a person’s sex is understood to be reported as at the time of data collection. National Bowel Cancer Screening Program NBEDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 17/12/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Non-admitted patient emergency department care NMDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Conditional obligation: This data element is collected on a Conditional basis with the element Person—gender, code X. Data must be reported for at least one of the two elements, either Sex or Gender. Data may be reported for both elements. DSS specific information: In the NAPEDC NMDS a person’s sex is understood to be reported as at the time of data collection. Non-admitted patient NBEDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Conditional obligation: This data element is collected on a Conditional basis with the element Person—gender, code X. Data must be reported for at least one of the two elements, either Sex or Gender. Data may be reported for both elements. DSS specific information: In the NAP NBEDS a person’s sex is understood to be reported as at the time of data collection. Perinatal NMDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 17/12/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 DSS specific information: This data element is recorded for the baby only. In the case of multiple births, this data element should be recorded for each baby born. Residential mental health care NMDS 2022–23 Health!, Standard 17/12/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 Statistical linkage key 581 cluster Health!, Standard 17/12/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2018 Youth Justice Client file cluster Youth Justice, Superseded 27/03/2023 |