I wish I could be there for the protest although
I can't imagine how any of you are pulling this off and maintaining
your composure. I can't imagine staging a "peaceful"
demonstration while a baby is being mutilated. It's a good example
of how God gives us strength to do things we would never be strong
enough to do by ourselves. My prayers are with everyone.
Jim Costich
-----
Attn: Barbara Corcoran
and Fernando A. Ferrer, M.D.
University of Connecticutt
Dear Ms. Corcoran and Dr. Ferrer,
I note that you are advertising that people may attend a lecture
on infant genitoplasty on September 25th and then view a genitoplasty
on September 26th. I am writing to let you know that I am disturbed
by the use of such surgeries in cases where the child's life is
not in danger. There is a growing body of evidence that infant
genitoplasties on intersex children may have severe medical and
emotional repercussions for the rest of the child's life. I refer
you to the study Intersex and Identity: The Contested Self by
Sharon E. Preves, assistant professor of sociology at Hamline
University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her work is published by Rutgers
University Press, New Brunswick New Jersey.
I must ask if this child's life is in danger if
the surgery is not performed? If not, why take the risk of performing
a surgery on an infant? Were the parents put in touch with other
parents who have an intersexed child? If not, who did they truly
receive adequate information to make a decision regarding the
pros and cons of infant genital surgery? Finally, if you consider
it appropriate to advertise this surgery as a public spectacle,
do you also give your students rqual opportunity to learn about
the new Patient-Centered Protocol developed by the Intersex Society
of North America(www.isna.org) with the participation of adult
intersexed individuals, parents of intersexed children and several
leading pediatricians?
Under the Patient-Centered Protocol, in which the infant is assigned
a social gender, but does not receive any medically unnecessary
surgeries. Both the parents and the children receive councilling
and peer support throughout the child's life so that they can
deal openly and truthfully with their body differences, and can
take part in appropriate ways in decisions regarding treatment
and gender assignment.
If you have not been aware of this protocol,
and/or have not been teaching it, I urge you to learn more by
visiting the website of the Intersex Society of North America,
and I beg you not to encourage the use of surgery in cases where
there is no medical neccesity.
Thank you,
Jennifer Clark
