Stakeholders and Values

The stakeholders who will determine an intersex child’s fate include the parents of the child, medical experts, attorneys and intersex activists.

Firstly, all parents of intersex babies face a crossroad which will inevitably affect the baby’s future and their future too. It is of human nature to want to be part of the majority and to want to assimilate into society easily. To have a baby whose gender is ambiguous will definitely take a big toll on the parents and the parents will have to decide on the sex assignment of the baby because it is “not normal” to be neither male nor female. After deciding on the sex of the baby, parents are required to sign a contract of agreement. From then on, the baby’s gender will be sealed.

Secondly, medical experts will be brought in to examine the baby and using various means such as measurement of the baby’s genitals and examination of the baby’s genes. Doctors will then come to a consensus of what gender the baby should adopt and make necessary surgical procedures if necessary. Medical experts play a large role in assigning a sex to an intersex baby as most parents will listen to the advice given by them, so they are definitely one of the stakeholders involved. Many doctors advise parents to determine the sex of the baby as soon as possible, stating reasons such as the identity crisis the baby will face in the future if no action is being taken.

Intersex activists will also be embroiled in cases of intersex humans. Many intersex activists believe that parents and doctors should not change the baby’s sex until the baby is old enough to decide for him or herself. One of the reasons intersex activists give is that the child may not be happy with his or her assigned gender in the future but will have to live with it in the future because surgery in the same area is highly dangerous.

Attorneys are also involved in cases of ambiguous gender. This is because society dictates that there are only two genders- male and female. Anyone who is unable to be classified under these two categories is considered as “abnormal”. Parents, who will decide on the sex of the baby, will have to include the name of their child in the birth certificate and such “trivial” decisions may be difficult due to the baby’s medical conditions.

There are many values related to the issue of intersex humans. Firstly, people will have to learn how to conform to social pressure and understanding of what is normal. In many aspects of our life, society dictates who we are, how we act and why we act this way. Intersex humans, who cannot be “fully” classified as male or female, have faced many difficulties in leading a “normal life”, whether they have experienced surgery to fix their gender at a young age or not. Society and community often shun these people because of their medical condition. We should learn to be more receptive and embrace these people with disorders of sex development because they can still contribute to our society. To accept them and integrate them in our society, we must constantly remind ourselves that everyone is different no matter what and the beauty of being difference is that we are able to create a vibrant and diverse community with different perspectives and attitudes.

The second value identified is the parents’ concern about the child’s future and love for their child. All parents love their children and want the best for their children. It is not exaggerating to say a parent is willing to do anything for his or her child. Many parents want their intersex children to live a “normal lifestyle” and hence assign a gender to the baby. However, parents must realise that such decisions cannot be rushed into and the real test is not the assignment of gender, but what happens after the surgery.

The third value is child’s rights and freedom. Many intersex activists, such as National Organisation for Women, believe that parents and doctors should not rush into assigning a gender for the intersex child if the child is perfectly healthy and fine. Many Intersex Genital Mutilation patients who have gone through the surgery to alter their genitals into the “ideal medical condition” have regretted not being able to choose their sex and “living in a world created for them”.

The last value is doctor’s professional sense of responsibility. To be a doctor is not an easy task because you have the lives of your patients’ in your hands. Doctors who receive cases of intersex babies will have to do intensive research and examination on the baby before reaching to a conclusion of which gender the baby should adopt. It is essential that whatever doctors do, they must bear in the mind what is best for the baby and the family.