Intersex
Technically, intersex is defined as “congenital anomaly of the
reproductive and sexual system.” Intersex people are born with
external genitalia, internal reproductive organs, and/or
endocrine system that are different from most other people.
There is no single “intersex body”; it encompasses a wide
variety of conditions that do not have anything in common
except that they are deemed “abnormal” by the society. Most intersex people identify as men or women.
Are intersex conditions harmful?
In general, intersex conditions do not cause the person to
feel sick or in pain; however, some intersex conditions are
associated with serious health issues, which need to be
treated medically. Surgically “correcting” the appearance of
intersex genitals will not change these underlying medical
needs.
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How common are intersex conditions?
No one knows exactly how many children are born with intersex
conditions because of the secrecy and deception surrounding
it, and also because there are no concrete boundaries to the
definition of “intersex.” It is nonetheless estimated that
about 1 in 2,000 children, or 5 children per day in the
United States, are born visibly intersex and receive early
intervention.
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How do we know the correct gender of a child with an intersex
condition?
We won’t know the child’s gender until she or he is old enough
to communicate to us. It is recommended that the child be
assigned a gender non-surgically based on medical and mental
health providers and the parents' best prediction, and allow
her or him to determine for herself or himself once she or he
is old enough to do so. Irreversible, nonconsensual surgeries
on infants should be avoided in order to give them the widest
range of choices when they are older.
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Can’t they just do a test to find out babies’ true sex?
Medicine cannot determine the baby’s “true sex.” For example,
chromosomes do not necessarily dictate one’s gender. Science
can measure how large a clitoris is, but cannot conclude how
large or small it needs to be. That is social determination. There is a growing trend within the medical community to
reconsider the surgical concealment of intersex bodies,
although the official protocol has not yet changed.
There is
an increasing number of follow-up studies that show that, not
only are surgeries detrimental to the child’s emotional and
sexual functioning, but they do not even deliver what they are
intended to, which is the genital that looks “normal” and
enables the individual to engage in “normal” heterosexual
intercourse.
These web pages
discuss some of these health concerns, as well as the things
you can do to reduce or eliminate your risk for these
health problems:
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