Born Human First: Intersex

Born Human First

When a child is born, they are first introduced by a gender, parents are told they have a girl or a boy. The child is deemed normal and both parents and doctors are satisfied with the result. However, when a child is born that does not fit into either binary category, there is immediate concern and worry. Doctors search for an answer, a solution, so the child can be “normal.” In many cases doctors will turn to surgery. They will permanently alter the child's body for the sake of normality. Genital surgeries performed on infants who are intersex can induce many problems later in life. These surgeries are non-consensual, unnecessary, can cause psychological damage to the individual, and are not always accurate about the child’s

So surgeons could choose a gender and it was upon the parents to raise that child following strict gender roles so that the child would comply with the chosen gender. Therefore it was considered to be the parents fault if the child later rejected the gender (Maxwell). This added to not only the parents’, but the child’s shame of their bodies and completely disregarded any questioning of the surgeries malfunctionings. Children who are intersex are subjected to years of scrutiny and exposure to medical doctors and their language (Tamar-Mattis). Rarely is a child psychologist called in to assist the doctors and parents with their decision. This is because doctors often rush into the surgeries without fully explaining the child’s condition. There is no explanation given to the child, parents are not informed of any alternatives to surgeries, rarely are they informed of the success rates or any real benefits to the surgeries. Psychologically there is little support given to them or to the parents and many parents recall being pressured to allow “normalizing surgeries.” Those who are intersex may be less likely to seek help later in life because of the shame they felt as a child (What are). Many children are often not told of the repercussion that the surgery causes and they often don’t find out until later in life that they are infertile, or that they cannot experience sexual stimulation. This secrecy can cause distrust between the individual and the medical community. Often when patients would find out the surgeries they had been subjected to they would stop seeking medical attention, even if it meant not getting the hormones they needed. Many patients remark that they would feel very self conscious because their condition was considered so “freakish” that even doctors and professional would not be honest with them (What’s