The United Nations Today, have launched a mini-campaign to raise awareness of the challenges facing intersex people. Did you know that up to 1.7 per cent of babies are born with intersex traits – meaning their chromosomes, hormones or, in some cases, genitals don’t fit typical definitions of male or female?
Please take a moment to watch this video, which traces the dramatic moments leading up to the birth of a child as a new father’s excitement turns to confusion on learning that his new baby is intersex. Too often, this is the moment when parents come under pressure to agree to surgery aimed at so-called “normalizing” their baby’s body. Modifying a baby’s body for cosmetic and social reasons has no medical justification, carries high risks, can leave deep physical, emotional and psychological scars – and violates their rights.
The UN is calling for a series of measures to protect intersex people from harm – including a ban on unnecessary medical procedures on intersex children, support for intersex people and their families, training for doctors and medical professionals, and effective anti-discrimination laws that address unfair treatment of intersex people throughout their lives.
Learn more by visiting the UN's new intersex awareness page, where, in addition to the new video, you’ll find facts and figures and hear directly from intersex people.
You can play your part in raising awareness by sharing this message and our new video with your friends and contacts. Thank you for your support and for all that you do for the cause of universal human rights.
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