'Normalising' surgeries still conducted on intersex kids despite human rights concerns

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-29 04:00

Australia; VIC

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Some medical professionals are still performing 'sex-normalising' surgeries on children born intersex despite ethical concerns, according to a review by Australian and international researchers. The team reviewed research from around the world on non-essential surgeries aimed at making an intersex child's genitals appear more uniform, looking at the motivations behind the choice to operate. The researchers say these surgeries are often motivated by distressed parents worried about raising an intersex child and the goal of aligning the child's appearance with a sex assigned by the parents or medical team. They say medical professionals who choose to do these surgeries can have the mistaken belief that intervention is best practice, or may prioritise the wishes of the parents over what they believe is best practice. The researchers say 'sex-normalising' surgeries should not be undertaken without the full, free and informed consent of the person involved, which makes them inappropriate for children, and legislators should be working to prevent these surgeries from happening.