The Doctor’s Roundtable: Intersex Healthcare

Iranti hosts a conversation with healthcare professionals about the stigma and mistreatment of intersex persons within the healthcare sector. The discrimination and exclusion of intersex persons comes as consequence of the very narrow understanding of human bodily diversity. Intersex persons have sex characteristics that do not strictly fit in the binary norms of female or male. With a strong desire to make them fit into these female-male binaries, intersex children are subject to genital mutilations, which is a gross inhuman, degrading treatment that does not place the best interests of the child at the fore. Intersex people and children continue to face rampant socio-economic exclusion for example lack of access to justice, education and employment as a direct result of the myths and misconceptions that surround intersex people and bodies. These myths have also greatly facilitated intersex infanticides and baby dumping due to the belief that intersex children or their families are either cursed or bewitched. It is against this background that we find it imperative to consolidate a strong and vibrant intersex coalition that will enhance continued advocacy and efforts towards challenging the violence perpetrated on intersex persons. This webinar brings together medical experts to discuss and unpack the treatment of intersex people in the healthcare sector. They will help us understand what is covered in medical syllabus about intersex variations and the process which doctors use in deciding a “sex” for intersex patients. Ultimately, this webinar serves as a basis to begin creating an affirming and inclusive healthcare policy/document to distribute to the community, medical industry and government stakeholders to turn the tide on the stigma and violence experienced by intersex people in South Africa and the region. Host: Crystal Hendricks (Intersex Rights Programmes Officer, Iranti) Panelists: Casey Black (Counsellor, HPCSA), Edna Siima Majaliwa (Paediatrician and Paediatric Endocrinologist, Muhimbili National Hospital), Anthony Brown (Department of Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg), Ian Ross (Senior Specialist Physician and Endocrinologist). #MarginsToMainstream