Intersex: Stories and Statistics from Australia

Description

Sex is complex. Humans are simultaneously more similar in their sex development, and more diverse, than is commonly appreciated or understood. Females and males are not made of wildly different ingredients. The potential to have intersex variations-to be born with atypical sex characteristics-exists for all humans in the first few weeks of their prenatal development. 1.7% of people actually go on to be born intersex. However, most of us know little about intersex variations. This is only partly due to their occasional invisibility. Intersex people have historically faced deep social stigma-the assumption that they were simply bizarre aberrations from the human norm. Furthermore, intersex infants have been widely subjected to systematic institutional mistreatment, particularly within medical settings. Finally, some people with intersex variations have simply tried to integrate themselves unnoticed into the socially accepted categories of male and female. Drawing on stories and statistics from the first national study of intersex the book argues for a distinct 'Intersex Studies' framework to address intersex issues and identity-foregrounding people with intersex variations' own goals, perspectives and experiences. Collected in 2015 and arranged in thematic chapters, the data presented here on 272 individuals gives a penetrating account of historically and socially obscured experience. This book is an important and long-overdue contribution to our understanding of human sexuality and a must-read for people with intersex variations, health practitioners, psychologists, advocacy groups, students, and anybody interested in knowing more about our diverse human make-up. Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 10 List of Tables and Figures......Page 12 Designing a Study On, With and For People with Intersex Variations......Page 16 Discovering, Experiencing and Discussing Intersex Variations......Page 17 People with Intersex Variations, Wellbeing and Mental Health Services......Page 18 People with Intersex Variations and Employment......Page 19 Sexuality, Romance and Relationships......Page 20 Representation in Media, Activism and Research......Page 21 Conclusion and Recommendations......Page 22 1. Introducing Intersex Studies: New Theory for New Research......Page 26 Intersex Variations......Page 27 Stigma and Silence......Page 30 Increased Networking and Advocacy......Page 34 Australian Advances......Page 38 Lack of Social Research......Page 41 Research Frame and Aims......Page 46 This Study’s Framing......Page 65 2. Designing a Study on, with and for People with Intersex Variations......Page 70 Reference Group......Page 71 Data Collection Tool......Page 73 Terminology Use in the Study......Page 74 Ethical considerations......Page 76 Sampling......Page 77 Study Title, Concept and Logo......Page 78 Recruitment and promotion......Page 79 Data analysis......Page 82 3. Basic Demographics for People with Intersex Variations......Page 84 Age......Page 85 State/Territory......Page 86 Sex Marker Assigned at Birth......Page 88 Sex Marker Used Now......Page 89 Transgender Status......Page 91 Disability......Page 92 Living Arrangements......Page 93 Religion......Page 94 4. Discovering, Experiencing and Discussing Intersex Variations......Page 96 Participants’ Variations......Page 97 Variations in Family Background......Page 101 Age of Discovery......Page 104 Feelings about Intersex Variations......Page 107 Preferred Language for Intersex Variations......Page 110 5. People with Intersex Variations, Health and Medical Services......Page 114 Physical Health Now......Page 115 Experience of Surgical and Hormonal Interventions......Page 116 Interventions and Informed Consent......Page 120 Impacts of Interventions......Page 124 Alcohol and Drug Use......Page 128 Overall Experiences with Health Services......Page 129 Improving Health Services......Page 131 6. People with Intersex Variations, Wellbeing and Mental Health Services......Page 134 Mental Health Now......Page 135 Self-harm and Suicide......Page 136 Overall Experiences with Mental Health Services......Page 138 Counselling/Training on Gendered Behaviour......Page 140 Improving Mental Health Services......Page 142 7. People with Intersex Variations and Education......Page 144 Education Level......Page 145 Policies and Programs......Page 148 Puberty/Sex Education Provision......Page 149 Responses to Disclosures......Page 151 School Counselling/Referrals......Page 153 Overall Experiences with Education/School Services......Page 154 Improving Education Services......Page 157 8. People with Intersex Variations and Employment......Page 160 Main Occupation......Page 161 Income......Page 162 Responses to Disclosures......Page 163 Overall Impacts on Employment......Page 165 9. Social Support for People with Intersex Variations......Page 170 Responses from Key People in Participants’ Lives......Page 171 Visibility of Participants’ Variations to Strangers......Page 175 Responses from Strangers......Page 177 Strangers, Explanations and Myths......Page 180 Religious/Spiritual Services......Page 181 Engaging with Community Social Groups......Page 182 Wellbeing Impacts of Community Engagement......Page 183 10. Sexuality, Romance and Relationships......Page 186 Relationship Status......Page 187 Marital Status......Page 189 Sexuality Terms and Definitions......Page 191 Impacts on Sexual Ability and Desire......Page 194 Sexual Activities Engaged In......Page 198 Sexual Protection......Page 200 11. Fertility, Parenting and Views on Parenting......Page 204 Fertility and Reproductive Capability......Page 205 Views on Parenting......Page 208 12. Representation in Media, Activism and Research......Page 212 Representation of ‘Real People’ in the Media......Page 213 Fictional Representations in the Media......Page 215 Representation in Activism......Page 217 Representation in Research......Page 221 13. Conclusion and Recommendations......Page 224 Trends and Individuals......Page 225 Social contexts......Page 227 Health Services, Policy and Training......Page 228 Roles for Parents/Guardians in Healthcare......Page 231 Mental Health Services and Training......Page 232 Education Policy and Practice......Page 234 Media representation, advocacy and further research.......Page 235 Conclusion......Page 239 References......Page 242 Appendix: Glossary......Page 256