Intersex: A Manifesto Against Medicalization - Hardcover

by Iain Morland (Author)

When children are born with sex attributes that do not fit expectations about male and female anatomy, it is standard medical practice to make their bodies look as "normal" as possible. Doctors seek to reduce or remove intersex characteristics through early childhood surgery--cutting down clitorises, remaking penises, and even performing sterilizations. For decades, intersex medicine has sparked outrage from patient groups, lawmakers, intergovernmental organizations, and scholars. It has been condemned for causing trauma, scars, nerve damage, and the loss of bodily autonomy. Yet it continues.

Author Biography

Iain Morland is one of the founding voices in critical intersex studies. He holds a PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, and he has held lectureships at Cardiff University and the University of the Arts London. Morland is coauthor of Fuckology: Critical Essays on John Money's Diagnostic Concepts (2015).