Intersexual - Are Doctors the Judges for the Gender Determination?

Are doctors the judges for the gender determination? Well, as the estimated number of new born babies who are intersexual, there is at least one intersexual baby from two thousand children in United States. Intersexual people refers to whose bodies (including genitals) have both female and male characteristics(page 170). Doctors resort to early surgery to determine the identity of the baby and often their option is most likely a female. However, early surgeries for intersexuality show its negative impact on patients on later, and the impact varies into physical and psychological effects.

For many intersexual individuals, the surgeries they have been through turned to be the opposite of what doctors decided. These surgeries for shaping unclear gender might cost lifelong loss of sexual sensation. In addition, some of intersexes are taking medicine to regulate testosterone and estrogen hormones and maintain their appearance. As mentioned in the documentary, Alberto testosterone was released at the age of nine causing a development in testes and penis. In some cases like Katrina’s large Virginia, surgery was not a choice due to the disorder that threatens her life. At any rate, large clitoris and penis are not an issue that requires immediate surgery unless there is a risk on an individual’s life.

They are living in an uncomfortable environment where they should act as the opposite gender, but they never felt like a male or female. Being forced to do activities, wear clothes, or use public facilities that they do not really know which to follow. In early life, the mysterious answer is hidden from them and they might be wondering of what kind of people they are. With all this confusion, an intersex person perhaps experiences a strong depression that could lead to suicide. The prevailing opinion in the past was to set sex as soon as possible depending on external genitalia more than relying on chromosomes. Reshaping male’s genital was considered