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Report

A Changing Paradigm

Summary Historically, when children with atypical sex characteristics were born in the United States, the people around them—parents and doctors—made their best guess and assigned the child a sex. Parents then reared them per social gender norms.…
Video

US: Doctors Still Do Harmful Surgeries on Intersex Kids

Medical professional associations should enact standards of care for intersex children that rule out medically unnecessary surgery before patients are old enough to consent, Human Rights Watch and interACT said in a report released today. After decades…
News

Intersex Kids Need US Pediatricians’ Support

Time For American Academy of Pediatrics to Oppose Unnecessary Surgeries on Intersex Kids

“As pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists, we care about the health and dignity of all children,” the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wrote in response to a report on intersex youth that Human…
A group of Doctors meet in the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi October 4, 2013.
News

Refocus Intersex Care Standards

Medical Associations Should Back Moratorium on Unnecessary Surgery

(New York, September 7, 2017) – Two key medical associations should publicly affirm their support to end medically unnecessary surgery on intersex children, Human Rights Watch and interACT said today. The groups sent letters to the medical…
A two-and-a-half-year old born with intersex traits walks with her parents in their garden. The parents have decided to defer all medically unnecessary surgeries until their child can decide for herself.
News

Intersex Infant Surgery Settlement Highlights Regulatory Gaps

Such Surgeries Should be Banned for Children

A legal settlement in South Carolina last week will award US$440,000 to a 12-year-old intersex child, born with sex characteristics not quite typically male or female, who was operated on as an infant to make his body appear like a girl. The surgery was…
A father plays with his daughter, who was born with atypical sex characteristics. Despite pressure from doctors, the parents chose not to elect medically unnecessary surgeries on their child.
News

Interview: Intersex Babies Don’t Need ‘Fixing’

What are some of the misconceptions around being born intersex? Unfortunately, in our society we’re still at a point where most people don’t know the basic facts about being intersex. People think it is very rare, but really, up to two percent of the…
A poster by intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis
Report

“I Want to Be Like Nature Made Me”

Summary Reader Advisory: This report contains graphic descriptions of traumatic experiences, often affecting children. Intersex people in the United States are subjected to medical practices that can inflict irreversible physical and psychological…
News

US: Harmful Surgery on Intersex Children

Medically Unnecessary Operations Risk Lifelong Suffering

(Chicago, July 25, 2017) – Doctors in the United States continue to perform medically unnecessary surgeries that can inflict permanent harm on intersex children, Human Rights Watch and interACT said in a report released today. Despite decades of…
A two-and-a-half-year old born with intersex traits walks with her parents in their garden. The parents have decided to defer all medically unnecessary surgeries until their child can decide for herself.