Translation glossaries establish consistency in terminology and tone for an organization. This is especially valuable in a reproductive health organization where getting the words right makes a big difference in patient care and comfort.
Translations glossaries are specific to each organization and include approved foreign language equivalents for commonly used terms used in:
- Educational materials and patient instructions
- Intake forms, letters and correspondence
- Marketing, social media, and website content
- Editorial and advocacy materials
Translation glossaries provide translators and those creating foreign language content with a standardized set of terms for the organization. The ultimate goal of these glossaries is two-fold:
- Increase consistency across communications for an organization
- Streamline the translation process when research on word choice would otherwise be needed
Glossaries provide a great resource and starting point, but they are not set in stone forever. As the needs of the organization and language evolve, the glossary should be updated as well.
Why Create a Gender-Neutral Spanish Glossary?
Glossaries can be created for any frequently-translated language, but are particularly useful for languages like Spanish where the language is inherently gendered.
Inclusivity is as important in reproductive health translation as it is abortion, gender affirming, and gynecological care. As such, Alboum encourages organizations to adopt a gender-neutral approach to content and translation.
Utilizing glossaries allows linguists to develop translations that are:
- Culturally sensitive
- Grammatically correct
- Mindful of the target audience
- In line with an organization’s brand standards
Alboum’s Approach to Glossaries for Reproductive Health Translations
Translation glossaries are often created drawing on commonly used terms in an industry or by leading organizations. In the reproductive health world, organizations including Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Campaign, and Unicef offer a good starting point for others. Drawing on these and other resources, organizations can add or remove terms based on relevance to them and also establish their own preferred translations, particularly for terms that have multiple reasonable translations.
It can be daunting to put together a glossary that reflects the latest terminology and best practices in gender-inclusive language. That’s why we’ve created a set of Spanish glossaries for reproductive health organizations to use as a starting point including terms on:
- Reproductive Health Spanish Glossary
- Abortion Spanish Glossary
- LGBTQ+ Spanish Glossary
- Gender-Based Violence Spanish Glossary
Each of these glossaries includes gender-neutral translations whenever possible. These also draw on a generic, neutral Spanish that is likely to be understandable by Spanish speakers from across Latin America.
Alboum’s glossaries for reproductive health translations should be customized to meet the specific needs of an organization. Working with clients, we endeavor to craft truly inclusive and representative messaging that maintains the integrity of organizations’ content once translated.
Contact us to discuss your communications goals – we are happy to work with your organization to tailor a glossary to incorporate your preferred terms and ensure alignment with your values, messaging, and target audience.
