Intersex

There is real uncertainty with intersex babies - rarely clear answers about what to do, easpecially early on.

 

In the beginning, doctors would do whatever they wanted with children of ambiguous genetalia and tell the family very little. They said if the person could pee standing up, they should be a boy; if

This was coupled with the idea that gender was entirely nuture, ie socially constructed.

 

Can people just stay intersex?

The consortium did say it is important to be either boy or girl; it just needs to be people's choice about their own bodies.

 

Parent Assignment of Gender

Kids can be raised gender neutral, until they can choose...

 

 

History

Brian (later, David Reimer) had his penis cut off and so they turned him into a girl. But after he grew up he stopped taking his hormones and had surgery done to reconstruct his penis. He later commited suicide.

 

Cheryl Chase founded the Intersex Society of North America. They turned around practice guidelines.

 

Truth-telling and Intersex

Before, there used to be a consequentialist view of doctors telling patients things. Now, it is more deontological. Truth-telling is important

 

Now, it is difficult to know the line between waiting for the right time, and withholding information

 

Also a line beteen filtering technical information and communicating what the patient want to know, and censoring

 

Frustration at complexity of the challenge of presenting medical information well;

 

 

Surgery is often done early on to allay parent psychosocial concerns. Parents have significant opportunity to do whatever they want.

 

Important to really encourage ownership of a baby in the parents

 

 

 

Every child should be called a boy or girl, but with the real possibility that their identity will not match their physical assignment down the road. Infant surgery should be avoided whenever possible to allow teens/adults to make their own decisions

 

Shame is one of the most profoundly disconnecting human afflictions

 

People don't make decisions about who they are; they come to realizations about who they are