High Rates of Discrimination Against the Intersex Community

According to a recent study released by the Center for American Progress, more than two-thirds of the Intersex Community faced discrimination within the past year alone.

For those unfamiliar with what it means to be intersex, “Nearly one in every 2,000 people [are] born with variations in reproductive or sexual anatomy, or has a chromosome pattern that doesn’t fit with what is typically considered male or female.”

Those born with the above characteristics are considered intersex, and, more often than not, are subjected to harmful, discriminatory treatment at infanthood—such as clitoral reductions or gonadectomies—before they can even consent.

As explained by Caroline Medina and Lindsay Mahowald of the Center for American Progress, “Mistreatment of intersex individuals begins early in life, with intersex infants and children commonly subjected to nonconsensual, medically unnecessary interventions to alter natural variations in genital appearance or reproductive anatomy with the aim of conforming their bodies to binary sex stereotypes. They have high complication rates and lifelong consequences such as infertility, reduced sexual function, and other physical and mental health impacts.”

While the intersex community has hit some monumental milestones in achieving the rights often afforded to their non-intersex counterparts, it’s vital to note that we still have a long way to go in assuring that those who are intersex are not discriminated against.

According to the aforementioned study, three in five of intersex persons avoided the doctor’s office in 2020 to avoid harassment; two in three avoided medical care due to financial barriers, and more than four in five reported experiencing discrimination that affected their financial well-being, such as getting hired, getting promoted, or maintaining their employment status.

As James Factora of them writes, “The doctor’s office proved a particularly unsafe place for intersex respondents, with half reporting that they postponed or did not try to get preventive screenings—such as pap smears, prostate exams, and chest exams—for fear of discrimination. A whopping 88 percent of members of this group claiming to have experienced some form of discrimination from a doctor or health care provider in the past year, with reports ranging from refusal of care and harsh language to physical abuse. Only 19 percent of non-intersex respondents reported the same.”

For information on how to help the intersex community, visit Intersex Campaign for Equality.

Photo by Oleksii Liskonih