It’s time to defend intersex rights

[Elizabeth]

I read the article on intersex rights with great interest and find myself confused. I am not confused by the reality of intersexed people, but by apparently misguided, misinformed opinions of some contributors expressing their views on the article. Now, I’m not an expert on intersex people, although I personally know a couple who, to me are perfectly normal human beings.
This then begs the question, ‘what is normal?’ It appears to me it is the same old story, being retold again and again in some form or another since the dawn of time; segments of humanity imposing their views and ideas of what is right and wrong on other segments of humanity. I would defend the rights of any minority to the bitter end, but that is something personal and inate.
Forget the religious fanatics, irrespective of their persuasion, they refuse to learn and accept what is right, believing their views are the only views of any worth. No one has the right to determine how a child should look to bring that child into the realms of so called normality and I would urge our members to support any moves to ban such practices. Perhaps I’m endeavouring to impose my views on others?
Why oh why can’t people leave well alone and accept the status quo of nature?
Are Transgendered people normal? The vast majority of the population would say no, but I would say we are, as a minority quite normal, like intersex people, we’re all part of the diversity of nature.

[Lisa_W]

I am not going to try to defend past surgical practices that have altered the external genitalia of intersex babies. But I will give you some facts & then ask a question.

The testes first develop near the kidneys & then descend into the scrotum. This occurs between 25- 35 weeks.The tract can be traced by following the course of the testicular arteries.
The descent of the testes can be arrested at any stage along that tract, especially at the inguinal canal.

This occurs in 5% of boys (1:20) rising to 100% of very premature babies weighing about 1Kg or less. The intra-abdominal testicle is surgically brought down into the scrotum if the testicular artery &/or spermatic cord is long enough. This surgery is ideally performed at 6-12 months.

If the testes remain in the abdomen & are therefore exposed to a higher temperature compared to that of the scrotum two things happen. Spermatogenesis does not occur ie; they are infertile. Secondly there is an increased risk of testicular cancer. If one testes is undescended the life time risk is about 1:120, if both testes are involved the risk around 1:40.

I agree babies cannot give consent, but parents can & do. Now my question is what would you do?

[Anonymous]

I would not hesitate to say yes to surgery, it is my right and responsibility to ensure my child is healthy and if by saying no to surgery I am increasing the risk of my child to develop a life threatening condition, then I am not being a proper parent.

[Adrian]

Lisa,

Thank you for your informative post.

I can relate very personally to the decision you highlighted.

I was born with undescended testes, and in those long ago days there obviously wasn’t an option of a trip to the surgeon after birth to “correct me”.

I lived with the “abnormality” through my childhood in blissful ignorance and it wasn’t until I hit my teens that my parents were advised by the doctor that “something should be done”. At no stage did anyone suggest to me that I was in any way different – in fact I thought until very recently that descending of the testes was a rite of passage of adolescent boys much like the first period for girls.

In those days my treatment wasn’t the knife but instead lots of hormone jabs in my bum at the local cottage hospital. Once a week for a very long time! The hormones eventually “worked”, though not without some other side effects.

In my case I remained fertile and have a daughter who is the joy of my life. I’m also watching out closely, now I know I am at risk, for testicular cancer.

Would I elect to have such surgery at birth for my child?

Well that would depend if the testes were the only irregularity in the sexual organs. If that is the case then an operation at birth has to be far preferable to hormone treatment later in life. I can still “feel” those injections (needles were a lot blunter then) – and all that testosterone flowing did shape my adolescence in ways that I would have preferred to have avoided.

How complicated it is making decisions in the face of such human diversity!

[Jennifer_1]

Hi Lisa and Amanda,

I am a bit confused. Is having one or both testes descended an intersex condition? If so I must be intersex to some degree.

At age 12 or 13, (it was a very long time ago) my right testicle which was undescended since birth was operated on due to concerns of “in case something happens in the future”. It was messy, two weeks in hospital with a very large rubber band stretching from my scrotum to my thigh. It made things interesting when you rolled over without thinking.

I was like Amanda in that I never thought there was anything unusual about having one testicle.

I have fathered three children and lived a fairly “normal” life. However I have often wondered if there was any connection between the undescended testicle and my gender dysphoria.

Jennifer

[Anonymous]

The surgery I would oppose is to try to change the sex which has been done before with tragic consequences.

In one case I heard of the baby was inter-sexed and the doctors decided to make the genitals female but the gender identity turned out to be male, even though the child was brought up as female the male gender identity predominated and that persons life was hell.

This case really shows gender identity is innate and definitely has very little to do with how a child is brought up.

It is so important not to make even more gender dysphoria then occurs naturally.

This type of operation needs to delayed until the gender identity of the child show.

On the undescended testicles an op early would be a good idea. A helping hand

Vicki

[Jennifer_1]

Thanks Vicki, I think we got off the subject a bit talking about undescended testes. I agree with you that surgery to change the sex or normalise the sex of a baby is fraught with danger.

I wonder how much pressure is put on parents in this situation. It is not the sort of thing a couple think about when a child is expected.

Jennifer

[Adrian]

Quote:

Thanks Vicki, I think we got off the subject a bit talking about undescended testes.

It may have been unexpected to talk about undescended testes but I don’t think it was off the subject at all.

It perhaps illustrates how little exposure we have had to the reality of the intersex condition and its diagnosis.

I went in search of an official medical statement of what symptoms are considered indicators of a potential intersex condition.
I found this reference from the US government:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001669.htm

Where it states:

Quote:

The symptoms associated with intersex will depend on the underlying cause, but may include:

Ambiguous genitalia at birth
Micropenis
Clitoromegaly (an enlarged clitoris)
Partial labial fusion
Apparently undescended testes (which may turn out to be ovaries) in boys
Labial or inguinal (groin) masses — which may turn out to be testes — in girls
Hypospadias [the opening of the penis is somewhere other than at the tip; in females, the urethra (urine canal) opens into the vagina]
Otherwise unusual-appearing genitalia at birth
Electrolyte abnormalities
Delayed or absent puberty
Unexpected changes at puberty

The highlight is mine.

It would appear that undescended testes at birth is potentially an indication of an intersex baby. But obviously everyone with undescended testes is not necessarily intersex.

But we were on topic it seems.

[Anonymous]

perhaps trying to decide a childs sex at birth is to early. it might not be a problem in the third would were they dont have the luxury to decide. i dont know should we see how the child develops?