|
Page 9 of 10
7. Surgery does not provide "normal" looking genitals.
In a recent review of a dozen girls aged 11 to 15 who had undergone clitoroplasty and vaginoplasty, Dr. David Thomas concluded "The results are indifferent and, frankly, disappointing" with reconstructions showing visibly different appearance from the original cosmetic result, clitorises withered and obviously nonfunctional, and "every girl required some additional vaginal surgery." (1997a; Scheck 1997). Even surgeries performed by leading experts had poor outcomes: "Dr. Thomas pointed out that 70% of the original surgeries had been performed by full-time pediatric urologists in three specialist centers" (1997a).
8. Surgery does not prevent emotional suffering.
In fact, there is evidence that it causes emotional suffering. "Many intersexuals report that the very treatments designed to prevent them from feeling like shameful freaks are in fact causing them to feel that way" (Dreger 1997a). "Children born as intersexes face psychological difficulties no matter what treatment choice is made, and sophisticated on-going counseling for both parent and child must certainly become, where it is not already, the central component of the treatment process" (Fausto-Sterling and Laurent 1994, p 8).
next: Trauma
References
1997a. Is early vaginal reconstruction wrong for some intersex girls? Urology Times (International Medical News), February, 10-12. (Enclosed: See Tab D)
1997b. The Pediatric Forum (letters). Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 151:1062-64. (Enclosed: See Tab E)
Barry, Ellen. 1996. United States of Ambiguity. The Boston Phoenix (Styles section), 22 November, 6-8. (Enclosed: See Tab F)
Chase, Cheryl. 1996. Re: Measurement of Evoked Potentials during Feminizing Genitoplasty: Techniques and Applications (letter). Journal of Urology 156 (3):1139-1140. (Enclosed: See Tab G)
Chase, Cheryl. 1997. Special issue on intersexuality. Chrysalis: The Journal of Transgressive Gender Identities, fall. (Enclosed: See Tab H)
Coventry, Martha. 1997. Finding the words. Chrysalis: The Journal of Transgressive Gender Identities. (Enclosed: See Tab H)
Coventry, Martha. 1998. On Early Surgery. (Enclosed: See Tab I)
Dateline. 1997. NBC Dateline: Gender Limbo. New York: NBC. national broadcast television show. 17 June.
Diamond, Milton. 1996. Prenatal disposition and the clinical management of some pediatric conditions. Journal of sex and marital therapy 22 (3):139-147. (Enclosed: See Tab J)
Diamond, Milton, and HK Sigmundson. 1997a. Sex Reassignment at Birth: A Long Term Review and Clinical Implications. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 150:298-304.
Diamond, Milton, and H. Keith Sigmundson. 1997b. Commentary: Management of Intersexuality: Guidelines for dealing with persons with ambiguous genitalia. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 151:1046-1050. (Enclosed: See Tab K)
Dreger, Alice Domurat. 1997a. Ethical problems in intersex treatment. Medical Humanities Report (Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences, Michigan State University) 1:1+4-6. (Enclosed: See Tab L)
Dreger, Alice Domurat. 1997b. Listening to Hermaphrodites: Ethical Challenges to the Medical Treatment of Intersexuality. East Lansing Michigan: Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences. (Enclosed: See Tab M)
Dreger, Alice Domurat. 1998 forthcoming-a. Ethical Issues in the Medical Treatment of Intersexuality and "Ambiguous Sex". Hastings Center Report. (Enclosed: See Tab N)
Dreger, Alice Domurat. 1998 forthcoming-b. Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. (Enclosed: See Tab O)
Drescher, Jack. 1997. Spare the knife, study the child. Ob.Gyn.News, 1 October, 14. (Enclosed: See Tab P)
Edgerton, Milton T. 1993. Discussion: Clitoroplasty for Clitoromegaly due to Adrenogenital Syndrome without Loss of Sensitivity (by Nobuyuki Sagehashi). Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 91 (5):956.
Fama Film A.G. 1997. I am what I feel to be (Guevote). Berne Switzerland: Fama Film A.G. video. (Enclosed)
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. 1993. The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female are not Enough. The Sciences 33 (2):20-25. (Enclosed: See Tab Q)
Fausto-Sterling, Anne, and Bo Laurent. 1994. Early genital surgery on intersexual children: A re-evaluation. (Enclosed: See Tab R)
|
