User:Chailatte321/new sandbox

= Gender disparities in health = WHO has defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Identified by the 2012 World Development Report as one of two key human capital endowments, health can influence an individual's ability to reach his or her full potential in society. Yet while gender equality has made the most progress in areas such as education and labor force participation, health inequality between men and women continues to harm many societies today.

[copied from Gender disparities in health]

My edit:

Bias against intersex people
Another axis of health disparity is within the intersex community. Intersex, also known as disorders of sex development (DSD) and is defined as "physical abnormalities of the sex organs". It is estimated that out of every 1,000 children born, around 17 of them are intersex in some form, however the intersexual birthrate is not uniform throughout the world.

Intersex is often grouped into categories with the LGBT community. However, it is commonly mistaken that they are the same when they are not. Transgender persons are born with sex organs that do not match the gender they identify with, whereas intersex persons are born with sex organs that are ambiguous to male or female genitalia.

Healthcare of intersex persons is centered around what may be considered "cultural understandings of gender" or the binary system commonly used as gender. Surgeries and other interventions are often used for intersex persons to attempt to physically change their body to conform with one sex. It has been debated whether or not this practice is ethical. Much of this pressure to choose one sex to conform to is socially implemented. Data suggest that children who do not have one gender to conform to may face embarrassment from peers. Parents may also pressure their children to having cosmetic surgery to avoid being embarrassed themselves. Particular ethical concerns come into play when decisions are made on behalf of the child before they are old enough to consent.

Intersex people can face discrimination when seeking healthcare. Laetitia Zeeman of University of Brighton, UK writes, "LGBTI people are more likely to experience health inequalities due to heteronormativity or heterosexism, minority stress, experiences of victimization and discrimination, compounded by stigma. Inequalities pertaining to LGBTI health(care) vary depending on gender, age, income and disability as well as between LGBTI groupings." James Sherer of Rutgers University Medical School also found, "Many well-meaning and otherwise supportive healthcare providers feel uncomfortable when meeting an LGBT patient for the first time due to a general lack of knowledge about the community and the terminology used to discuss and describe its members. Common mistakes, such as incorrect language usage or neglecting to ask about sexual orientation and gender at all, may inadvertently alienate patients and compromise their care."