Why Are Intersex Babies Treated as a Medical Emergency?

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A possible reason babies are given sexual reassignment surgery is because of the need to fit intersex infants into the 2 sex society we have built. Although research suggests that 1 in every 1500 babies are born with ambiguous genitals (American Psychological Assocation, 2006) male and female are predominant genders. Although it is possible doctors are acting in the best interest of the child, in the belief that sex reassignment surgery will normalise them, and therefore help them lead a life of acceptance and defined sexual identity.

Many clinicians operate on intersex babies to put parents at ease. Parents, upon learning that their child has ambiguous genitalia may feel a variety of valid emotions including

worry about what they will tell family and friends. There are also long term issues, such as the decision of whether or not to tell the child and how the subject will be broached. Parents may fear their child will look different from their peers and the effect this will have on their child throughout their life. These concerns may lead the parents into feeling shame and fear and attempt to completely erase the dilemma by surgical intervention suggested by the doctors in an attempt to ‘normalise’ the baby. A number of parents report they feel they were not given the necessary facts to make an informed decision about the future of their child and the surgeries inherent risks (Lydia Guterman 2012).

Although doctors can attempt to predict the infant’s future gender identity and match the genitals to that, only the child can truly know what gender it is. The potential to leave a child with conflicting sexual and gender identities is high, however sexual identity surgery still occurs. The question is raised, “Is surgery purely is in the infants well being or is to make parents feel more comfortable?” There is evidence that surgery can leave scarring, loss of sensation and infertility. There are also a number of intersex children who feel that their gender identity and sexual organs do not match (Latesha Switzer, 2005).

A major implication of babies undergoing sexual reassignment surgery is the fact that the assigned sex does not match the gender the child is raised with. Children who do not identify with their assigned sex can have psycho-sexual delays and issues, and can face psychological trauma throughout their lives. Doctors have admitted that genital assignment is sometimes based on aesthetics and as surgeons find it easier to construct a vaginal opening, rather than trying to create or enlarge a penis, a higher percentage of intersex babies are assigned a female gender (Latesha Switzer, 2005). This shows that the assigned gender is not always based on anything more than ease for a doctor. A less complex operation for the medical team may lead to life long trauma for a child.

The reported main focus of intersex surgery is to enable children to lead a normal life with out gender identity crisis or confusion. However, many patients say that operations created a sense of abnormality. Parents of intersex children may not know how much they should tell their children about their condition, and at what age. The lack of knowledge that surrounds intersexuality can make people think their condition is shameful which may lead to self doubt and a negative feeling about their body image.

In conclusion, although the number of intersex babies are generally small, the way they are dealt with will have a major impact on the life of which they will lead.

Intersex babies are operated on for the emotional benefit of parents as well as the need to place all babies into a typical sex. The emotional repercussions are life long and greatly impact a child’s well being and happiness. A possible course of action may be to not preform surgery and let the child choose whether they feel the need for medical intervention and gender.

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