Initial Thoughts- Should Intersex Infants Undergo Sex Assignment Treatment?




The main question I will be delving into in this blog is whether intersex infants should undergo sex assignment treatment. To many, this topic seems like it has no personal relevance. When first learning of this topic I couldn’t see how it would relate to my life. I’m not intersex, I don’t consciously know anybody who is intersex, and other people’s genitalia and DNA don’t concern me, it’s really none of my business. The reality of it is, like so many other things in life, this topic isn’t going to affect the majority of people out there, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter. With an increase in data collection and recognition of mental illness it has become clear that many people with a difference of sexual development condition have suffered with mental illness.

The health, whether mentally or physically, of others matters to everybody. Many people and organizations have been linking mental illness of intersex people to sex assignment treatment during childhood. This viewpoint is currently where I stand. In fact, this treatment seems to be causing more harm than good. One question that is always brought up with this topic is why it is deemed necessary to perform treatment for a non-life threatening condition that could potentially lead to extreme damage? Some intersex people who had undergone sex assignment treatment during childhood grow up identifying at trans and spending a lot of time, money, and energy transitioning to a gender that they feel they are. This brings about the nature versus nurture debate. For these people, it didn’t seem to matter how they were raised, they were just given the wrong identity. Score one for nature.
Lastly, the differences between sex and gender should be noted. I understand this is an extremely controversial issue, so I’m going to be focusing on the difference between sex and gender roles. By gender roles I mean traditional beliefs like boys like blue, girls like dresses, men shouldn’t like makeup, women shouldn’t be physically dominant. The thinking behind sex assignment treatment on intersex infants is that if they are raised with traditional gender roles associated with the sex they are given, that they will grow up to be “normal”. I will be looking at whether or not this is true. Does this method work? What are the complications? And most importantly, are the people subjected to this happy or damaged?



Comments

  1. UnknownApril 6, 2017 at 7:35 PM

    Hi Dana,
    your topic seems to have some interesting points of view and is giving me some light on this subject. I have never really heard much on this topic and am interested on learning more as you continue to write on.
    what I find interesting about this post is the hole part of if we should give surgery to infants to correct this problem. my views on this is we should let the child decide when they get older. It is their body and I believe they should have their own choice on their life. maybe add just a little bit more of your views on this matter and it would sum it all up better. I do agree with this contribution to mental illness.

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  2. UnknownApril 6, 2017 at 9:05 PM

    I appreciate your choice of topic for this blog because it is a topic that I have touched on partially with my friends. Though our discussions were primarily based on children who are assigned sexes in the whom, I can definitely relate to the nature vs. nurture aspect of both arguments. Though I try not to has a bias towards other people's sexually identification, I believe that it may go against nature to make these kinds of decisions. However, your post has made me start to recognize the psychological hardships that these people go through. I can't wait to read more.

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  3. cailaApril 8, 2017 at 10:10 AM

    I enjoyed your post I think you picked a very interesting topic. When reading this I couldn't help but think of sociology class because we recently went over gender which relates to this. I look forward to reading future posts from you about this subject. I am not sure how I feel about the surgery on infants I can understand why the parents would do it but I don't think the challenges in the future would be worth it.

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