Forensic anthropologists have a responsibility to appropriately relay information about a decedent in medicolegal reports and when communicating with the public. The terms ‘sex’ and ‘sex estimation’ have been applied with numerous, inconsistent definitions under the guise that sex—a broad, complex concept—can be reduced to a female/male binary. This binary does not reflect biocultural realities and harms those whose bodies do not meet social expectations of maleness or femaleness. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Laboratory (UNLV FAB Lab) advocates for the use of the term ‘assigned sex at birth’ (ASAB) to highlight that binary sex is not biologically inherent to the body, but rather, assigned by society. Additionally, we call for the use of disclaimers in case reports to denote the limitations of ASAB estimation methods, the differentiation between those with mixed trait expression (i.e., indeterminate) and those on whom an ASAB analysis cannot be performed (i.e., unknown), and the included consideration of gender in forensic anthropology research and case reports. Such applications challenge biological normalcy, allowing forensic anthropologists to actively advocate for those whose bodies do not meet biocultural expectations.

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of life in the United States and around the world. This is particularly true for marginalized and vulnerable groups who face disproportionate levels of violence and premature death within their communities. While general impacts of the pandemic have been well-studied overall, little has been done to examine the correlation between COVID-19 and the risk of suicide among older adults. Older adults are particularly at risk because they face challenges including ageism, inadequate support systems, unreliable transportation, and frequent social isolation. Medicolegal casework offers a unique vantage of these issues, as it aims to identify manner of death which may be influenced by underlying structural vulnerabilities. The current research draws upon data collected from the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. A sample of 871 older adults (aged 50+), whose manner of death was deemed a suicide between the years 2017–2021, were included in this analysis. Statistical analyses investigated differences between adults aged 50–64, 65–84, and 85+ years. Results suggest statistically significant changes in mechanism of death between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, indicating a shift in risk factors related to social isolation and the home environment. Understanding such changes in trends directly affects the interpretation of skeletal data in forensic anthropology and thus, should be taken into consideration when developing structural vulnerability profiles. Furthermore, the inclusion of a structural vulnerability approach in forensic case reports has the potential to provide additional context for deaths by suicide and may help develop policies and procedures for mitigating future risk.