New approaches for treating intersex children

[tinkerbell]

For the last 50 years or so, the standard treatment has been to quickly choose a gender for the child, surgically create the appropriate genitalia, then purge the medical history of any anomalies. But this doesn't always work. Take the now well-known case of David Reimer, who, after a botched circumcision, was castrated and raised as a girl, on his doctor's recommendation. After a tortured life, Reimer found out about his original gender, started living as a man, but recently committed suicide.

FULL ARTICLE



Interesting, huh kitties?


tinkerbell

[Dennis]

Very much. I recently saw a documentary that was somewhat dated on intersex children. I was incensed listening to these doctors talking about how important it was to surgically and hormonally "correct" children to a gender that the doctors had chosen.

The David Reimer case is one of the most heartbreaking tragedies of medical arrogance.

Dennis

[Dryad]

I know that if I'd ever have a child born intersex, I would forbid the doctors to 'put it right,' giving the child their own choice after reaching 18 whether or not they wish to have a single specific gender, or wish to remain intersex. It's a hard walk, I know that, and a tough one, but I think it's ultimately the best thing you could do.

[Cindi Jones]

I know that if I'd ever have a child born intersex, I would forbid the doctors to 'put it right,' giving the child their own choice after reaching 18 whether or not they wish to have a single specific gender, or wish to remain intersex. It's a hard walk, I know that, and a tough one, but I think it's ultimately the best thing you could do.

Many medical professionals agree with you now.  Minor problems can be fixed, but I think that many are leaving things as they are just so the person can make the right choice when they have some life experience behind them.

Cindi

[Casey]

Wow, so does that mean doctors are "giving" intersexed people the option to be intersexed from birth to death? Make no mistake, I think that's a great thing. I'm just thinking ahead to the future. If the medical community adopts a "you are what you are" attitude towards intersexed people, that acceptance may ripple out and make life better for all sorts of people.

"I'm a transsexual." "You are what you are."
"I'm gay." "You are what you are."
"I was born with a non-life threatening deformity that I don't want to 'correct'." "You are what you are."
"I like to get naked, cover myself with Spongebob Squarepants stickers, and make love in a vat of lime jello." "You are-- you are weird." (Sometimes acceptance takes a while.)

[Melissa]

"I like to get naked, cover myself with Spongebob Squarepants stickers, and make love in a vat of lime jello." "You are-- you are weird." (Sometimes acceptance takes a while.)

Now that sounds like fun...except for the stickers, the corners may be a bit pokey.

[Dryad]

Well...
The sponguebob squarepants stickers are, indeed, a bit of a turn-off...
But 'You are what you are' should become: 'Yes... Your point being..?' For a lot of people, where I live, this is allready the case for most things. Sure, tg usually gets the responce: 'So.. How does that work?' but for the rest: A hell of a lot of people really couldn't give a damn. You're you, and that's all that counts.

Still, children can be cruel. Often a lot more so than adults.

[Mattie]

Or its like Popeye says: "I am what I am and thats all that I am..."

[Prince_Eric]

Or its like Popeye says: "I am what I am and thats all that I am..."

Good old Popeye, getting his gender messages out to all of us at a young age. 

[Thundra]

I have always thought of popeye as a really butch woman -- diesel dyke.
"He" has a friend that eats too much, is too fat, and has to protect him being beaten up constantly -- i.e. gay, he has a really femme GF that is taller than him, and he always getting into a fight with some macho guy that tries to "put him in his place."

And, if you punch "Popeye" into the British name generator, it comes up as Emily Walpole.
I rest my case. Popeye was born Emily Walpole, but is now a diesel dyke leaving somewhere in the amerikan NE. One thing is for sure. If Popeye had been born in this century, he'd have already had top surgery.

OK. Now seriously. The medical profession is a bunch of %&*%$#@^! I know this first hand. They think that they can play GOD. They are wrong. I believe in karma, which means a lot of those surgeons should be coming back as IS kids later this century.

If there is ever a revolution in this country, the rest of you can kill all of the lawyers. I will be the one hunting surgeons down.