You may be reading this thinking, “I don’t treat Intersex patients in my practice. I’ve never even met anyone who is Intersex. What’s the point of learning about Intersex variations?” However, statistically speaking, you most likely have met someone who is Intersex, and you might even have a few patients right now who are Intersex (but you just don’t know it)!
In fact, 1.7% of the population is Intersex. This is about the same percentage of folks who are redheads. So, if you’ve ever seen someone walking down the street or treated someone in your clinic as a patient who has red hair, you’ve probably also seen and treated someone who was Intersex.
Someone who is Intersex may have variations in their hormones, chromosomes, internal reproductive anatomy, and/or external/genital anatomy. Intersex variations can be found in utero during pregnancy, at birth, during adolescence if someone has not undergone puberty by the typical age, during examinations in adulthood while screening for other health issues, and during adulthood if someone is struggling with conception. Some folks even go their entire lives without knowing they are Intersex, and it’s actually found on a post-mortem exam!
Currently, there are over 40 known Intersex variations. And even within an Intersex variation, variations can exist. No two people are exactly the same. We all have differences, which is why every patient deserves individualized care, examinations, and treatments.
Historically, healthcare providers and the medical world have caused great harm and trauma to many in the Intersex community through non-consensual, non-medically necessary examinations, medications, and surgical procedures. As healthcare providers, we need to practice from a trauma-informed lens and understand this historical trauma in order to provide better Intersex-affirming care to our patients and to help educate our colleagues so that they also can provide better affirming care to their patients.
We need to tailor our interventions to each person’s specific goals, needs, wishes, and anatomical differences.
Want to learn more about how to do this?
Come Intersex Patients: Rehab and Inclusive Care on November 8th! In my course, you will learn how to become an Intersex-affirming provider and a better healthcare ally to the Intersex community! Come learn with me today!
Resources
- (2020, May 18). FAQ: Intersex, Gender, and LGBTQIA+. https://interactadvocates.org/faq/intersex-lgbtqia/.
- (2021, January 26). FAQ: What is Intersex? https://interactadvocates.org/faq/.
- (2023). QGuides Resource Guide Intersex. https://qlife.org.au.
- National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center. (2020). Affirming Primary Care for Intersex People 2020. https://www.lgbtqiahealtheducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Affirming-Primary-Care-for-Intersex-People-2020.pdf.
- Fenway Health. (2020, October 26). Improving Health Care for Intersex People. https://fenwayhealth.org/improving-health-care-for-intersex-people/.
- Human Rights Watch. (2017, July 25). US: Harmful Surgery on Intersex Children Medically Unnecessary Operations Risk Lifelong Suffering. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/07/25/us-harmful-surgery-intersex-children.
AUTHOR BIO
Molly O’Brien-Horn, PT, DPT, CLT, PCES, CCI
Molly O’Brien-Horn, PT, DPT, CLT, PCES, CCI graduated from Rutgers School of Biomedical & Health Sciences with her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. She is a Pelvic Health Physical Therapist, a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, a Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, an LSVT BIG Parkinson’s Disease Certified Therapist, and an APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor. She is also a trained childbirth and postpartum doula. Molly is a member of the APTA Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy and is also a Teaching Assistant with the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute.
Molly is passionate about providing accessible healthcare to pelvic health patients of all age ranges, all gender identities, all sexualities, all body variations, and all ability levels