ABSTRACT
The largely binary nature of biological sex and its conflation with the socially constructed concept of gender has created much strife in the last few years. The notion of gender identity and its differences and similarities with sex have fostered much scientific and legal confusion and disagreement. Settling the debate can have significant repercussions for science, medicine, legislation, and people's lives. The present review addresses this debate though different levels of analysis (i.e., genetic, anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and sociocultural), and their implications and interactions. We propose a rationale where both perspectives coexist, where diversity is the default, establishing a delimitation to the conflation between sex and gender, while acknowledging their interaction. Whereas sex in humans and other mammals is a biological reality that is largely binary and based on genes, chromosomes, anatomy, and physiology, gender is a sociocultural construct that is often, but not always, concordant with a person' sex, and can span a multitude of expressions.
Subject(s)
Gender Identity , Humans , Male , Female , Sexual Behavior/psychology , Sex CharacteristicsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Queer individuals continue to be marginalized in South Africa; they experience various health care challenges (eg, stigma, discrimination, prejudice, harassment, and humiliation), mental health issues (eg, suicide and depression), and an increased spread of HIV or AIDS and sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs; chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis). Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to resolve the health care deficits experienced by health care providers when managing queer individuals and by queer individuals when accessing sexual-reproductive health care services and needs, thus ensuring inclusivity and the promotion of health and well-being. Studies have proven that the nominal group technique (NGT) could be used to solve different social and health problems and develop innovative solutions. This technique ensures that different voices are represented during decision-making processes and leads to robust results. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify important contents to include in the development of an mHealth app for addressing the sexual-reproductive health care services and needs of queer individuals. METHODS: We invited a group of 13 experts from different fields, such as researchers, queer activists, sexual and reproductive health experts, private practicing health care providers, innovators, and private health care stakeholders, to take part in a face-to-face NGT. The NGT was conducted in the form of a workshop with 1 moderator, 2 research assistants, and 1 principal investigator. The workshop lasted approximately 2 hours 46 minutes and 55 seconds. We followed and applied 5 NGT steps in the workshop for experts to reach consensus. The main question that experts were expected to answer was as follows: Which content should be included in the mHealth app for addressing sexual-reproductive health care services and needs for queer individuals? This question was guided by user demographics and background, health education and information, privacy and security, accessibility and inclusivity, functionality and menu options, personalization and user engagement, service integration and partnerships, feedback and improvement, cultural sensitivity and ethical considerations, legal and regulatory compliance, and connectivity and data use. RESULTS: Overall, experts voted and ranked the following main icons: menu options (66 points), privacy and security (39 points), user engagement (27 points), information hub (26 points), user demographics (20 points), connectivity (16 points), service integration and partnerships (10 points), functionalities (10 points), and accessibility and inclusivity (7 points). CONCLUSIONS: Conducting an NGT with experts from different fields, possessing vast skill sets, knowledge, and expertise, enabled us to obtain targeted data on the development of an mHealth app to address sexual-reproductive health care services and needs for queer individuals. This approach emphasized the usefulness of a multidisciplinary perspective to inform the development of our mHealth app and demonstrated the future need for continuity in using this approach for other digital health care innovations and interventions.
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Background and Aims: Of late, there are many legal representations from select quarters to halt all medical interventions in children with differences of sex development (DSD). In this survey on management decisions in DSD, we distil the views of Indian stakeholders: parents, physicians, and grown-up patients with DSD on their management decisions to identify decisional satisfaction or gender dysphoria. Methods: The survey domains included the patient demographics, final diagnosis, decision on the sex of rearing, surgical interventions, opinion of the stakeholders on the preferred age of sex assignment, final sex of rearing, and agreement/disagreement about sex assignment (gender dysphoria). Results: A total of 106 responses were recorded (66% parents, 34% grown-up patients aged 12-50 years). Among parents, 65/70 (95%) preferred the sex to be assigned soon after birth. All grown-up patients preferred sex to be assigned soon after birth. Regarding decisions on surgery, 74% of physicians and 75% of the grown-up patients felt parents should be allowed to decide interventions. Among Indian parents, 90% felt they should have the right to decide surgery in the best interest of their child for a safe social upbringing. Overall, gender dysphoria among Indian DSD patients was <1% (1/103, 0.97%). Conclusions: The predominant preference and opinion of major Indian stakeholders (physicians, parents, and grown-up DSD patients) support the existing approach toward DSD management, including early sex assignment and necessary medical intervention.
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When is it ethically permissible for clinicians to surgically intervene into the genitals of a legal minor? We distinguish between voluntary and nonvoluntary procedures and focus on nonvoluntary procedures, specifically in prepubescent minors ("children"). We do not address procedures in adolescence or adulthood. With respect to children categorized as female at birth who have no apparent differences of sex development (i.e., non-intersex or "endosex" females) there is a near-universal ethical consensus in the Global North. This consensus holds that clinicians may not perform any nonvoluntary genital cutting or surgery, from "cosmetic" labiaplasty to medicalized ritual "pricking" of the vulva, insofar as the procedure is not strictly necessary to protect the child's physical health. All other motivations, including possible psychosocial, cultural, subjective-aesthetic, or prophylactic benefits as judged by doctors or parents, are seen as categorically inappropriate grounds for a clinician to proceed with a nonvoluntary genital procedure in this population. We argue that the main ethical reasons capable of supporting this consensus turn not on empirically contestable benefit-risk calculations, but on a fundamental concern to respect the child's privacy, bodily integrity, developing sexual boundaries, and (future) genital autonomy. We show that these ethical reasons are sound. However, as we argue, they do not only apply to endosex female children, but rather to all children regardless of sex characteristics, including those with intersex traits and endosex males. We conclude, therefore, that as a matter of justice, inclusivity, and gender equality in medical-ethical policy (we do not take a position as to criminal law), clinicians should not be permitted to perform any nonvoluntary genital cutting or surgery in prepubescent minors, irrespective of the latter's sex traits or gender assignment, unless urgently necessary to protect their physical health. By contrast, we suggest that voluntary surgeries in older individuals might, under certain conditions, permissibly be performed for a wider range of reasons, including reasons of self-identity or psychosocial well-being, in keeping with the circumstances, values, and explicit needs and preferences of the persons so concerned. Note: Because our position is tied to clinicians' widely accepted role-specific duties as medical practitioners within regulated healthcare systems, we do not consider genital procedures performed outside of a healthcare context (e.g., for religious reasons) or by persons other than licensed healthcare providers working in their professional capacity.
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This study highlights the relationship between gender identity and gender centrality, including self-reported measures of the centrality of masculinity and femininity in individuals' interactional expression, physical expression, interests, and feeling masculine or feminine. This is a secondary data analysis of a larger study (The 2019 Pleasure Study). In this analysis, it was found that there is a notable relationship between gender identity and levels of gender centrality. Transgender men and transgender women reported higher levels of gender identity centrality ("How important is your gender identity to the way you think about yourself?") than cisgender men and women. Nonbinary people and intersex individuals reported higher levels of gender identity centrality than cisgender men and cisgender women, but lower levels than transgender men and transgender women. In an average of centrality measures ("How important are how masculine/feminine your physical expression, interactional expression, feelings, and interests are?"), trans women had the highest average centrality scores while cis men had the lowest.
ABSTRACT
Background: Differences of Sex Development (DSD) are congenital conditions where the chromosomal, gonadal and anatomical sex characteristics do not strictly belong to male or female categories, or that belong to both at the same time. Surgical interventions for individuals with DSD remain controversial, among affected individuals, caregivers, and health-care providers. A lack of evidence in support of, for deferring, or for avoiding surgery complicates the decision-making process. This study explores Norwegian health-care professionals' (HCPs) perspectives on decision-making in DSD-related surgeries and the dilemmas they are facing in this process. Methods: Focus group interviews with 14 HCPs integrated into or collaborating with multidisciplinary DSD teams were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Two overarching dilemmas shed light on the intricate considerations and challenges that HCPs encounter when guiding affected individuals and caregivers through surgical decision-making processes in the context of DSD. The first theme describes how shared decision-making was found to be influenced by fear of stigma and balancing the interplay between concepts of normality, personal experiences and external expectations when navigating the child's and caregivers' needs. The second theme illuminated dilemmas due to a lack of evidence-based practice. The core concepts within each theme were the dilemmas health-care professionals face during consultations with caregivers and affected individuals. Conclusion: HCPs were aware of the controversies with DSD-related surgeries. However, they struggled to reconcile knowledge with parents' wishes for surgery and faced dilemmas making decisions in the best interests of the child. This study draws attention to the benefits of increased knowledge on the consequences of performing or withholding surgery as well as incorporating tools enabling shared decision-making between HCPs and affected individuals/caregivers.
DSD-related surgeries are controversial and subject to debate.Health-care professionals grapple with dilemmas during shared decision-making, as revealed in focus group interviews.Health-care professionals were concerned that parents' and affected individuals' fear of stigmatization would influence the shared decision-making process. Lack of evidence-based knowledge on practice, left health care professionals without clear guidelines on how to navigate decision-making.
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OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate adult endocrinologists' perspectives on caring for patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and views on their transition from pediatric to adult care. METHODS: An online survey was conducted among adult clinical endocrinologists at Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals from March to October 2022. RESULTS: Most participants (25/34, 73.5â¯%) treat patients with CAH and expressed moderate to high confidence (23/32, 71.9â¯%) in their care. Those that did not treat or accept referrals cited insufficient expertise, knowledge, and resources as reasons. Only half of respondents correctly answered at least 50â¯% of standard of care questions. The main transition of care barrier identified was the absence of standardized policies (12/34, 35.3â¯%). CONCLUSIONS: Participants, though involved in care of patients with CAH, had varied responses to standard of care questions and transition of care barriers, emphasizing the need for standardized transition protocols and additional training to ensure up-to-date clinical knowledge.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital , Endocrinologists , Transition to Adult Care , Humans , Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/therapy , Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/psychology , Adult , Adolescent , Female , Male , Endocrinologists/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Attitude of Health Personnel , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , PrognosisABSTRACT
According to popular understandings, children grow from a state of dependence to eventually become independent adults. Interdependence helps to disrupt the in/dependence binary and is a useful concept for making sense of the experiences young people with variations in sex characteristics in relation to healthcare. This study used semi-structured interviews with 32 health professionals, 33 caregivers and 12 young people recruited in the UK and Sweden. The analysis is guided by the questions: (1) how do young people, carers and health professionals position themselves in the adult/young person relationship in the context of healthcare? (2) how is the (in/ter)dependence of young people imagined when young people, carers and health professionals talk about healthcare? Our analysis shows how carers and health professionals might support dominant understandings about young people growing towards independence while providing little opportunity for young people's agency and voice. Interviews with young people gave clear examples of their negotiating relational ways of being, seeking agency in the context of healthcare and not simply becoming independent of adults. This analysis also draws attention to the ways young people might be silenced within healthcare contexts. The present paper is based on secondary analysis of data from the SENS. It works with concepts of relationality and interdependence to draw out the possibilities of voice and agency for young people with variations in sex characteristics in healthcare contexts.
Subject(s)
Qualitative Research , Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Sweden , United Kingdom , Parents/psychology , Young Adult , Adult , Sex Factors , Interviews as Topic , Health Personnel/psychology , Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Professional-Patient Relations , Attitude of Health Personnel , ChildABSTRACT
False claims of having an intersex condition have been observed in print, video, Internet media, and in live presentations. Claims of being intersexed in publicly accessible media were examined and evidence that they were false was considered sufficiently conclusive in 37 cases. Falsity was most often detected due to medical implausibility and/or inconsistency, but sometimes also using information from third-party or published sources. The majority, 26/37, of cases were natal males; 11/37 were natal females. Almost all (34/37) were transgendered, living, or aspiring to live, in their non-natal sex or as socially intergender. The most commonly claimed diagnosis was ovotesticular disorder ("true hermaphroditism") due to chimerism, an actually uncommon cause of authentic intersexuality. Motivations for pretending to be intersexed were inferred from statements and behaviors and were varied. Some such pretenders appear to be avoiding the external or internalized stigma of an actual transgendered condition. Some appear, similarly to persons with factitious disorder, to be seeking attention and/or the role of a sick, disadvantaged, or victimized person. Some showed evidence of paraphilia, most frequently autogynephilia, and, in several cases, paraphilic diaperism. For some cases, such claims had been accepted as authentic by journalists or social scientists and repeated as true in published material.
Subject(s)
Disorders of Sex Development , Humans , Female , Male , Disorders of Sex Development/psychology , Transgender Persons/psychologyABSTRACT
While there is considerable overlap in the treatment of patients with intersex traits and differences in sex development (I/DSD) with transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth, the initial medical evaluation varies significantly. I/DSD youth often present due to differences in genitalia development in infancy or pubertal development in adolescence, and this leads to comprehensive biochemical, radiologic, and genetic evaluation. TGD youth, however, tend to have typical development noted at birth and during puberty, but present with a gender identity that does not align with their sex assigned at birth and do not require evaluation for underlying pathology. For both I/DSD and TGD youth, the mainstays of treatment are to better align one's physical appearance to their gender identity. This review discusses the non-medical and medical interventions utilized in gender affirming care. A multidisciplinary team of mental health providers, pediatric medical providers, and surgeons is recommended for providing gender affirming care to both I/DSD youth and TGD youth and their families. Radiologists have an important role in initial evaluation of I/DSD youth and in ongoing monitoring of growth and bone mineral density during puberty induction in I/DSD and TGD youth.
Subject(s)
Disorders of Sex Development , Humans , Disorders of Sex Development/therapy , Disorders of Sex Development/diagnostic imaging , Adolescent , Male , Female , Child , Transgender PersonsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This paper examines the subjective experience of medical interventions on intersex bodies to reduce cancer risk. METHODS: Twenty-five individuals with intersex variations took part in semi-structured interviews, analysed through thematic discourse analysis. RESULTS: Intersex bodies were positioned as inherently sick and in need of modification, with cancer risk legitimating surgical and hormonal intervention. This resulted in embodied shame, with negative impacts on fertility and sexual wellbeing. However, many participants resisted discourses of bio-pathologisation and embraced intersex status. Some medical interventions, such as HRT, were perceived to have increased the risk of cancer. Absence of informed consent, and lack of information about intersex status and the consequences of medical intervention, was positioned as a human rights violation. This was compounded by ongoing medical mismanagement, including health care professional lack of understanding of intersex variations, and the objectification or stigmatization of intersex people within healthcare. The consequence was non-disclosure of intersex status in health contexts and lack of trust in health care professionals. CONCLUSIONS: The legitimacy of poorly-evidenced cancer risk discourses to justify medical intervention on intersex bodies needs to be challenged. Healthcare practitioners need to be provided with education and training about cultural safety practices for working with intersex people.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms , Humans , Male , Female , Neoplasms/psychology , Neoplasms/prevention & control , Adult , Middle Aged , Disorders of Sex Development , Fear , Qualitative Research , Young Adult , ShameABSTRACT
Intersex individuals, encompassing people with diverse sex characteristics that do not fit binary frameworks of sex, have long faced a history of medical secrecy, discrimination, and societal stigma, contributing to their limited social visibility. In recent years, increased awareness of intersex issues and a robust advocacy movement have drawn significant attention to the experiences of intersex individuals and their families. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining the experiences and needs of parents of intersex individuals within genetic healthcare systems, bridging a critical gap, and advocating for more comprehensive and supportive healthcare practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 parents of intersex individuals, and reflexive thematic analysis was used to inductively generate four major themes. Themes highlighted the need for improved accessibility of intersex healthcare, the importance of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, and the significance of clinical diagnosis provided by genetics professionals. Furthermore, the study highlighted the necessity of a thoughtful approach to information provision and the impact of genetic investigations on family dynamics. Genetics professionals can play a pivotal role in raising awareness about intersex variations, improving diagnostic processes, collaborating within healthcare teams, and providing specialized support to address psychosocial concerns. The study underscores the importance of treating families as a collective entity and addressing the impact of genetic investigations on the family unit. By addressing the challenges and implementing the recommendations outlined, healthcare institutions can create a more compassionate, inclusive, and effective healthcare environment for the intersex community.
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Elite individual sports in which success depends on power, speed or endurance are conventionally divided into male and female events using traditional binary definitions of sex. Male puberty creates durable physical advantages due to the 20-30-fold increase in circulating testosterone producing a sustained uplift in men's muscle, bone, hemoglobin, and cardiorespiratory function resulting from male puberty and sustained during men's lives. These male physical advantages provide strong justification for separate protected category of female events allowing women to achieve the fame and fortune from success they would be denied if competing against men. Recent wider social acceptance of transgender individuals, together with the less recognized involvement of intersex (46 XY DSD) individuals, challenge and threaten to defeat the sex classifications for elite individual female events. This can create unfair advantages if seeking inclusion into elite female events of unmodified male-bodied athletes with female gender identity who have gained the physical advantages of male puberty. Based on reproductive physiology, this paper proposes a working definition of sport sex based primarily on an individual's experience of male puberty and can be applied to transgender and various XY intersex conditions. Consistent with the multidimensionality of biological sex (chromosomal, genetic, hormonal, anatomical sex), this definition may be viewed as a multistrand cable whose overall strength survives when any single strand weakens or fails, rather than as a unidimensional chain whose strength is only as good as its weakest link.
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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of cultural competence and humility among patients of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) community in physical therapy. Researchers sought to understand the perspectives of adults over 18 years old who have received physical therapy and identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. METHODS: A phenomenological qualitative approach was utilized for this study. Patients were recruited through social media and LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations across the United States. Twenty-five patients agreed to participate in the study. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide informed by Campinha-Bacote's domains of cultural competence (cultural awareness, skill, knowledge, encounter, and desire) to collect individual experiences, discussions, thoughts, perceptions, and opinions. RESULTS: Three central themes and subthemes emerged from the data and were categorized according to cultural acceptance (societal impact, implicit and explicit bias), power dynamics between the in-group and out-group (out-group hyperawareness of their otherness), and participant solutions (policy, training, education). CONCLUSION: An LGBTQIA+ patient's experience is influenced by the provider cultural acceptance, and the resulting power dynamics that impact LGBTQIA+ patients' comfort, trust, and perceptions of care. Enhanced patient experiences were found more prevalent with providers that possessed elevated levels of education or experience with this community, supporting Campinha-Bacote's assumption that there is a direct relationship between level of competence in care and effective and culturally responsive service. IMPACT: Awareness of the underlying issues presented in these themes will assist in the development of effective solutions to improve LGBTQIA+ cultural competence among physical therapists and physical therapist assistants on a systemic level.
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BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and allied (LGBTQIA+) individuals encounter challenges with access and engagement with health services. Studies have reported that LGBTQIA+ individuals experience stigma, discrimination, and health workers' microaggression when accessing health care. Compelling evidence suggests that the LGBTQIA+ community faces disproportionate rates of HIV infection, mental health disorders, substance abuse, and other noncommunicable diseases. The South African National Strategic Plan for HIV or AIDS, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections, 2023-2028 recognizes the need for providing affirming LGBTQIA+ health care as part of the country's HIV or AIDS response strategy. However, current anecdotal evidence suggests paucity of LGBTQIA+ and key populations' health content in the undergraduate health science curricula in South Africa. Moreover, literature reveals a general lack of health worker training regarding the health needs of LGBTQIA+ persons and other key populations such as sex workers, people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the design of a project that aims at facilitating the inclusion of health content related to the LGBTQIA+ community and other key populations in the undergraduate nursing curricula of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. METHODS: A multimethods design encompassing collection of primary and secondary data using multiple qualitative designs and quantitative approaches will be used to generate evidence that will inform the co-design, testing, and scale-up of strategies to facilitate the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and key populations content in the undergraduate nursing curricula in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data will be collected using a combination of convenience, purposive, and snowball sampling techniques from LGBTQIA+ persons; academic staff; undergraduate nursing students; and other key populations. Primary data will be collected through individual in-depth interviews, focus groups discussions, and surveys guided by semistructured and structured data collection tools. Data collection and analysis will be an iterative process guided by the respective research design to be adopted. The continuous quality improvement process to be adopted during data gathering and analysis will ensure contextual relevance and sustainability of the resultant co-designed strategies that are to be scaled up as part of the overarching objective of this study. RESULTS: The proposed study is designed in response to recent contextual empirical evidence highlighting the multiplicity of health challenges experienced by LGBTQIA+ individuals and key populations in relation to health service delivery and access to health care. The potential findings of the study may be appropriate for contributing to the education of nurses as one of the means to ameliorate these problems. Data collection is anticipated to commence in June 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This research has potential implications for nursing education in South Africa and worldwide as it addresses up-to-date problems in the nursing discipline as it pertains to undergraduate students' preparedness for addressing the unique needs and challenges of the LGBTQIA+ community and other key populations. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/52250.
Subject(s)
Curriculum , Sexual and Gender Minorities , Humans , South Africa , Female , Male , Education, Nursing, BaccalaureateABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21HD) can affect the in utero development of the genital anatomy of people with the 46XX karyotype. Health professionals engage parents in decision-making regarding managing genitals with this difference, including genital surgery options and patient communication. AIM: We sought to investigate parental communication with their daughters regarding clitoral size variation related to neonatal CAH. METHODS: Semistructured in-person interviews of 24 parents of chromosomal XX children with clitoral size variation attributable to a neonatal CAH diagnosis comprised 3 management categories: (1) clitoral reduction surgery (RS) (7 parents, 9 children), (2) clitoral concealment surgery (CS) (8 parents, 8 children), and no surgery on or around the clitoris (NS) (9 parents, 7 children). OUTCOMES: Four representative themes, Obvious Choice, Still Different, Parental Burden, and Ignorance Is Bliss, were common across all 3 treatment groups. RESULTS: For most parents, none of the 3 options of genital appearance alteration via clitoral reduction, clitoral concealment surgery, or avoidance of clitoral surgery ameliorated concerns, with most parents expressing an aversion to educating their child on the topic of genital differences, past treatment, or future function. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Reliance on surgical treatment pathways to manage this psychosocial concern is ineffective in alleviating parental uncertainty without the application of psychosocial interventions. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This was a qualitative study but was limited to parents of children with a specific genital difference, without direct exploration of parental values regarding the clitoris or the application of adequate psychosocial care. CONCLUSION: Healthcare services must have an impact on parental ability to engage in essential communication with their children in cases such as clitoral size variation related to neonatal CAH. Improved communication skills allow parents to engage in more genuine decision-making and adapt to enduring genital reality, including possible future sexual challenges for their adult child, without resorting to burdensome strategies focused on attempts to perpetuate a benevolent ignorance.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital , Clitoris , Parents , Humans , Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/surgery , Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/psychology , Female , Clitoris/surgery , Parents/psychology , Adult , Child , Male , Decision Making , Interviews as Topic , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
This article argues for a ban on the performance of medically unnecessary genital normalizing surgeries as part of assigning a binary sex/gender to infants with intersex conditions on the basis of autonomy, regardless of etiology. It does this via a dis/analogy with the classic case in bioethics of Jehovah Witness (JW) parents' inability to refuse life-saving blood transfusions for their minor children. Both cases address ethical medical practice in situations where parents are making irreversible medical decisions on the basis of values strongly held, identity, and relationship-shaping values-such as religious beliefs or beliefs regarding the inherent value of binary sex/gender-amidst ethical pluralism. Furthermore, it takes seriously-as we must in the intersex case-that the restriction of parents' right to choose will likely result in serious harms to potentially large percentage of patients, their families, and their larger communities. I address the objection that parents' capacity to choose is restricted in the JW case on the basis of the harm principle or a duty to nonmaleficence, given that the result of parent choice would be death. I provide evidence that this is mistaken from how we treat epistemic uncertainty in the JW case and from cases in which clinicians are ethically obligated to restrict the autonomy of nonminor patients. I conclude that we restrict the parents' right to choose in the JW case-and should in the case of pediatric intersex surgery-to secure patient's future autonomy.
Subject(s)
Blood Transfusion , Disorders of Sex Development , Jehovah's Witnesses , Parents , Personal Autonomy , Humans , Blood Transfusion/ethics , Male , Female , Disorders of Sex Development/surgery , Treatment Refusal/ethics , Sex Reassignment Surgery/ethics , Infant , Child , Religion and Medicine , Decision Making/ethics , Parental Consent/ethicsABSTRACT
Healthcare advocacy is the duty and privilege of all healthcare providers, but especially for those who care for children. Intersex and gender diverse youth face significant barriers across many aspects of life, with access to competent gender affirming healthcare chief among them. Understanding the importance of both institutional and individual efforts in healthcare advocacy is paramount to improving healthcare access and outcomes for this population.
Subject(s)
Patient Advocacy , Transgender Persons , Humans , Female , Male , Child , Health Services Accessibility , Adolescent , Gender-Affirming CareABSTRACT
This publication provides an overview of current imaging indications and practices for patients undergoing gender-affirming surgery, with an emphasis on the importance of tailored, patient-specific care. Gender-affirming surgeries are performed with personalized approaches at various stages of life for those with intersex traits or differences in sex development (I/DSD) and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals. For I/DSD patients, ultrasound, genitography, or MRI occurs during infancy and puberty to evaluate genital and gonadal anatomy. Facial harmonization involves bony and soft tissue modifications, guided by maxillofacial computerized tomography (CT) with three-dimensional reconstruction. Ultrasound is the main modality in assessing hormone-related and post-surgical changes in the chest. Imaging for genital reconstruction uses cross-sectional images and fluoroscopy to assess neoanatomy and complications.
Subject(s)
Disorders of Sex Development , Sex Reassignment Surgery , Humans , Male , Disorders of Sex Development/diagnostic imaging , Female , Adolescent , Sex Reassignment Surgery/methods , Child , Transgender PersonsABSTRACT
Disorders of sexual development (DSD) are diseases resulting from aberrations in sex chromosomes, gonadal, and internal/external genitalia development resulting in various phenotypes. Ovotesticular DSD represents a rarer entity in this classification of disorders characterized by simultaneous presence of testicular and ovarian tissue. Gonadal tumors in those with DSDs is a known risk, although ovarian masses discovered in adults with ovotesticular DSD is a rare entity and there is little literature pertaining to this population. We present a case of an incidental adnexal mass discovered in an elderly patient ultimately elucidated as a malignant ovarian mass.