Intersex

1
Intersex

• 3/10/04

2
Schedule

• Readings
• The Recent Debate
• Changes?
• Some cases

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Readings

• What proposals are being made?
• Who do you agree with?
• Why?
• Any problems with these arguments?

4
The Recent Debate

• Video clip from 20/20 Includes Cheryl Chase
  again.

5
A Defense

• Is that surgeries are much better now than they
  were in the past, so total cliterectomy is not
  done, but it is unclear if reduction is any
  better.

6
Another line of defense

• We live in a society that cannot accept
  differences (race, nationality, social class,
  sexual orientation, etc.) Why allow people to
  suffer if we can prevent it?

7
Legal questions

• Federal law (OCAB, H.R. 3610, P.L. 104-208) makes
  genital mutilation (clitoral circumcision, labial
  cutting) punishable by fine and/or up to 5 years
  in prison. The only exceptions are if it is
  done in the midst of a birthing or if necessary
  to the health of the person on whom it is
  performed.

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Necessary to the health of the person on whom
it is performed

• Physical? Psychological? Social?
• What type of health?

9
Patrick Smith, A Case

• This is from TLC/Discovery Channel, and shows how
  some doctors treat intersex.

10
Patrick Smith

• Thoughts?

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Some questions

• What is the best way to get this information
  spread?
• Who should get this information?
• What changes (if any) should happen in medical
  treatment of intersex?

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Changes for medicine???
13
Changes in society???
14
Social Assignment Gender

• The ISNA, and most advocates, call for an end of
  the surgical assignment of intersexed individuals
  at birth, but with a social assignment still
  occurring.
• How helpful is our societies understanding of
  genders?

15
Gender questions

• What societal changes would need to be made if we
  abandoned the concept of gender?

16
Do you know if it is a boy or girl?

• Why, dear god, why?!?

17
The Olympics

• Two interesting cases to consider in context of
  the Olympics

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Stella Walsh (Stanislawa Walasiewicz)

• Woman track star of the 1930s.
• Born in Poland, immigrated to US in 1913.
• Won the Gold medal for Poland in 100 Yard Dash in
  1932.
• Won the Silver medal for Poland in 1936 Olympics
  in Berlin.

19
Stella Walsh cont.

• After losing to US athlete Helen Stephens, Walsh
  complained that Stephens was a man, and that her
  results should be overturned.

20
Stella Walsh cont.

• In 1980, Walsh was shot in a robbery attempt in
  Cleveland and died. Because of the circumstances
  of her death an autopsy was performed.
• It turned out that Walsh was XY, and had
  undescended testicles. She likely had AIS.

21
Stella Walsh

• Despite the irony, we might ask What should be
  done with Stella Walshs records?

22
Olympic Sex Screening

• Until the Sydney Olympics (Summer 2000), female
  athletes were screened prior to competing to see
  if they were genetically female.
• Those who came back XY were often asked
  discreetly to withdraw from competition.

23
Olympic Sex Screening

• Does this make sense?
• Remember People with AIS do not respond to
  androgen and/or testosterone, so they have no
  biological advantage over XX females.

24
Freaks Geeks clip

• An interesting example of how intersex is
  displayed in the media (when it is).

25
Ethical Concerns

• What should the ethical standard be for medical
  personnel?
• What recourse should intersexed have against
  doctors who do not meet this standard?

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• Questions?

27
For Next Time

• Veatch 148 150, 158 162
• Weiss, Rick. Babies in Limbo Laws Outpaced by
  Fertility Advances and New Ways May Let Women
  Put Family Plans on Ice. (Both on Progdata)
• Paper due.