--- joanna wrote:
> These investigators, studying intersexed individuals, basically had
> extrapolated from their clinical research several concepts which
> they
> thought would lead to better management 1
> While not using these exact words, the following precepts
> developed:
> <snip>
> 1. Individuals are psychosexually neutral at birth.
Exactly the precepts that have disrupted the lives of many intersexed individuals whose parents were led to believe that the sooner a "choice" is made to "fix" the problem, the better.
Revised guidelines, though difficult to integrate into the hardened and established school of practice, suggest *not* doing surgery right away and allowing the intersexed child to have time to naturally express their innate gender so that the corrective surgery, if needed, matches the gender expression of the child.
Sadly, parents themselves, eager to have a "complete" child that they can immediately present to the world as normal and healthy, are hesitant or horrified to have to wait.
Thanks for posting that data, Joanna.
- Deborah