User:Deirdregallo/sandbox

Adding to the "Gender as an Axis of Disparity" section in Gender disparities in health. Looking at intersex as another means which gender is used as an axis of disparity.

Another axis of health disparity is within the intersex community. Intersex, also known as disorders of sex development (DSD) is defined as "physical abnormalities of the sex organs"

Intersex is often grouped into categories with the LGBT community (link to LGBT page) 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 both male and female sex organs, often having to choose one gender to identify with.

Healthcare of intersex persons is centered around what may be considered "cultural understandings of gender" or the binary system commonly used as gender.

Corrective surgeries and interventions are often used for intersex persons to attempt to physically change their body to conform with one sex. This is ethically questionable and continually debated. 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."

Data shows that medical students are actually more comfortable working with queer patients as opposed to transgender or intersex patients, and generally knew more about LGB health than intersex and transgender health.

Donald, C., Ehrenfeld, J.M. The Opportunity for Medical Systems to Reduce Health Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Patients. J Med Syst 39, 178 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-015-0355-7

Spurgas, A. K. (2016). (Un) queering identity: The biosocial production of intersex/DSD. In Critical intersex (pp. 97-122). Routledge.