Should intersexed babies be given sex-assignment surgery at birth? (2 Viewers)

[iamsickofyear12]

Because it is arguable more suffering for them to be emotionally traumatised by growing up and having a different mental 'gender' to the sex that they were assigned.

How old does a kid need to be before they are capable of deciding which gender they want to be? I know adults who are too stupid to make such an important decision. What if they make the wrong decision? What about the emotional damage from having to spend x number of years of their life as both?

I think the least harm would come from ending up with a different mental gender. A sex change is always a possibility, and in the cases that the assignment was right to start with then they will live a normal life and may not even need to know.

Can anyone tell me whether there are any medical signs at birth as to which mental gender a baby in this situation may have? Environment would have an impact. If you assign someone a sex and raise them that particular sex there is a better chance they will mentally lean that way. I'm sure there have been studies on it but I don't know where I'd find them.

 

[Ennaybur]

stef :I agree with what you're saying. However, I think some might not want it changed either way, and/or it might cause medical difficulties (I don't really know specifics). Pragmatically though, what you are suggesting is a strong case.

 

[Ennaybur]

I guess they'd just have the 'feeling' of what's right. I don't know.

And I don't think there can be 'mental gender' tests that young. I have heard of it, but I really don't know how valid/how environmental etc they are.

 

[taco man]

this was a while ago.. but I watched some episode of oprah and they had this little boy not much older than a toddler who played with his sister's dolls, wanted to wear his mum's makeup, and had feminine mannerisms. In one part they showed him saying how he wanted to be a girl and wished his penis would fall off.

from what i saw.. i don't think u could really assume that a child is incapable of having a grasp of their gender identity.