Information technology - Codes for the representation of human sexes

Designation Number:
ISO/IEC 5218:2022
Standard Type:
National Standard of Canada - Adoption of International Standard
Standard Development Activity:
New Edition
ICS code(s):
35.040.50
Status:
Proceeding to development
SDO Comment Period Start Date:
SDO Comment Period End Date:
Posted On:

Scope:

This document specifies a uniform representation of human sexes for the interchange of information. It is intended to:

  • reduce the time required to record and/or format the representation of sexes and transmit the corresponding data;
  • improve clarity and accuracy of interchange;
  • minimize the amount of human intervention required for communicating the representation of sexes; and
  • reduce costs.

This document does not prescribe file sequences, storage media, programming languages, or other features of information processing to be used in its implementation.

This document meets the requirements of most applications that need to code human sexes. It does not provide codes for sexes that can be required in specific medical and scientific applications or in applications that need to code sex information other than for human beings. It also does not provide codes for human gender identities that can be required in other applications.

This document does not supplant national standards for coding sexes that are designed based upon codes derived from names of sexes in the various languages (for example “M” for “male” and “F” for “female” in the English language). It provides a numeric code that is independent of language-derived codes and as such is intended to provide a common basis for the international exchange of information containing human sex data elements.

Project need:

To align Canadian requirements with those of international standards in the ICT subject area (adoption of new standard). This proposed New Edition is being developed at the request of P123 Technical Committee on Information Technology. It will provide the industry with the latest requirements in the field of ICT, including cybersecurity and software.

Note: The information provided above was obtained by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and is provided as part of a centralized, transparent notification system for new standards development. The system allows SCC-accredited Standards Development Organizations (SDOs), and members of the public, to be informed of new work in Canadian standards development, and allows SCC-accredited SDOs to identify and resolve potential duplication of standards and effort.

Individual SDOs are responsible for the content and accuracy of the information presented here. The text is presented in the language in which it was provided to SCC.