According to Ilene Wong, M.D., “Studies have shown that up to 80% of intersex patients have changed their care based on discomfort with their medical providers.”¹ That is a lot of patients. As healthcare providers, we should strive to avoid contributing to that patient discomfort and trauma. Providing intersex-affirming, trauma-informed, and inclusive care can help. Below are just three ways to educate yourselves and provide better care to patients who are Intersex.

1. Educate Yourselves

Following Intersex activists and organizations on social media and sharing their stories can be a great way to learn from Intersex folx. Reading books and memoirs, and watching movies or videos by Intersex folx about their lived experiences, is another way to educate yourself.^{2, 3, 4, 5}

2. Provide Trauma-Informed Care

Some patients may have a history of trauma. There are many different ways trauma can manifest in a person. Identify the different signs of trauma a patient may have, and seek to prevent re-traumatizing patients.⁶

3. Recommend Peer Support Groups

Meeting other Intersex folks with similar lived experiences can empower patients, foster community, and build connections. Recommending patients and their families to peer support groups can be a great way to promote these things.^{6, 7}

Learn More With Molly

Want to learn more ways to provide intersex-affirming healthcare and learn how to be an ally to patients who are Intersex? Molly’s remote course takes you deeper into the genetics, history, variations, and clinical care that help you support Intersex patients with skill and compassion.

Resources

1. Lambda Legal & interACT. (2018, July 20). Intersex-Affirming Hospital Policy Guide: Providing Ethical and Compassionate Care to Intersex Patients. lambdalegal.org
2. Lindhal, H. (2018, June 2). We Need to End Intersex Erasure in Queer Communities. Them. them.us
3. National Health Service England. (Accessed 2026, June 21). How to be an Intersex Ally. NHS Health Education England. madeinheene.hee.nhs.uk
4. Lindhal, H., Brown-King, B., Wall, S.S., & Pagonis, P. (Accessed 2026, June 21). 26 Ways Allies Can Support Intersex Awareness Day on Oct 26. interACT. interactadvocates.org
5. Intersex Human Rights Australia, Intersex Peer Support Australia, & National LGBTI Health Alliance. (Accessed 2026, June 21). Raising the Bar: How to Be An Intersex Ally. Interaction. interaction.org.au
6. interACT. (Accessed 2026, June 21). What We Wish Our Doctors Knew Brochure. interactadvocates.org
7. National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center. (2020). Affirming Primary Care for Intersex People 2020. lgbtqiahealtheducation.org

Pelvic health symptoms rarely exist in isolation. A patient may present with urinary urgency, pelvic pain, constipation, or prolapse symptoms, but beneath the surface there is often another layer: fear, stress, bracing, hypervigilance, and a nervous system that has been living in high alert for far too long.

As pelvic rehabilitation providers, we are trained to assess muscles, fascia, posture, breathing, pressure management, and functional movement. Yet many of our patients also need tools that help them feel safe in their bodies again. This is where acupressure becomes a valuable part of integrative pelvic health care.

Acupressure is a noninvasive, self-applied technique rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine that uses manual pressure on specific points of the body. In pelvic rehabilitation, it may be used as an adjunct to support nervous system regulation, symptom self-management, and whole-person care — serving as a practical bridge between the body, the breath, and the nervous system.

Why Mental Health Belongs in the Conversation

The relationship between pelvic health and mental health is bidirectional. Stress and anxiety can increase pain sensitivity, alter breathing patterns, contribute to pelvic floor overactivity, and worsen symptom perception. Pelvic symptoms, in turn, can increase fear, distress, and loss of control. This is especially relevant in conditions such as chronic pelvic pain, urinary urgency, dysmenorrhea, constipation, and prolapse-related symptoms.

Integrative physical therapy offers a framework for this complexity, blending conventional rehabilitation with complementary strategies while emphasizing therapeutic presence, patient empowerment, and the interconnection of mind, body, and function.

Published Case Report: Rectal Prolapse

In a newly published case report in the Journal of Women's & Pelvic Health Physical Therapy, Rachna Mehta and co-author Becky Parr, PT, DPT, DHSc, OCS describe an integrative plan of care for a 71-year-old woman with chronic rectal prolapse, rectal pain, urinary urgency, and low back pain.

The patient's treatment plan combined pelvic floor muscle training, manual therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, bowel and bladder education, and acupressure. Two acupressure points were taught for post-bowel-movement symptom management, paired with the phrase: relax, release, let go.

Acupressure Points Used

The Role of the Clinician

Pelvic rehabilitation clinicians are uniquely positioned to care for patients whose symptoms are influenced by stress, fear, trauma, anxiety, sleep disruption, and nervous system dysregulation. Treatment strategies can include breathing and downregulation techniques, identification of pelvic floor guarding patterns, acupressure as a self-management tool, and integration of mindfulness into pelvic floor coordination.

Acupressure provides an accessible, noninvasive adjunct to support whole-person healing. When integrated with breathwork, pelvic floor muscle training, patient education, and compassionate clinical reasoning, it helps patients improve body awareness, enhance self-regulation, and develop greater confidence in symptom management.