Holistic Health
Let intersex people decide if they want surgery
Parents and doctors should wait until individuals are mature to decide for themselves
Having intersex children undergo surgery to make their sex characteristics either male or female without their consent is a grave violation of their bodies that could sow the seeds of potential health and psychological problems in the future .
Intersex is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of sex traits , including individuals with female ovaries and chromosomes but outside genitals that look male . Others may have an enlarged clitoris or male chromosomes but an incompletely formed penis or female genitals . Such characteristics may be apparent at birth or may develop later in life . Estimates can vary , but about 0.05 to 1.7 percent of the population is born with intersex traits .
Though most cases don ’ t require treatment as there are no health problems associated with them , doctors have often recommended surgery to give children clear female or male sex traits to help them develop a defined gender identity or to make them conform to stereotypes , such as those dictating that women must be able to engage in vaginal intercourse and men must have the ability to stand while urinating .
Intersex surgery , however , can entail several risks , such as decreased sexual function , infertility , scarring , and urinary incontinence . It is also carried out on children who are too young to understand what ’ s happening to them and unable to provide informed consent . This could lead to psychological trauma resulting in depression and anxiety , especially if the surgically assigned sex doesn ’ t match the gender identity developed later in life .
“ Forced and coercive medical interventions violate a right to health ( including a right to free and informed consent ),” reads the Background Note on Human Rights Violations against Intersex People by the UN ��ce of the High Commissioner for Human �ights . “ The right to health includes the right to control one ’ s health and body , including sexual and reproductive rights , freedom from interference , and the right to be free from torture , non-consensual medical intervention and experimentation .”
The Intersex Society of North America ( ISNA ) says treatment should only be offered to intersex individuals who are mature enough to make their own informed decisions , while they should also be introduced to intersex people who have and haven ’ t had the surgery before making up their minds .
ISNA adds that “ genital ‘ normalizing ’ surgery does not create or cement a gender identity ; it just takes tissue away that patients may want later .”
While some intersex adults who underwent surgery in childhood are happy about their parents ’ choice , others suffer serious conse�uences .
“ I ’ ve met many survivors , or some people that haven ’ t survived because they have taken their own lives , or had other medical complications , � Tony Briffa , a board member of Intersex Human Rights Australia , told ABC .
Until individuals are mature enough for informed consent , treatment should only be carried out when intersex traits cause health problems . One example is congenital adrenal hyperplasia , a genetic condition that causes a lack or overproduction of hormones , chemicals that drive essential processes in the body like the development of sex characteristics . In such cases , medications can often help patients lead a healthy life .
Intersex is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of sex traits , including individuals with female ovaries and chromosomes but outside genitals that look male .
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com