Tony Briffa: “Intersex surgery disregards children’s human rights”

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Nature, Volume 428 Issue 6984, 15 April 2004
Five years ago, Tony Briffa had a letter published in the journal Nature. The issues it raises remain to be addressed:

Countries across the world, along with the United Nations, have long recognized the rights of children to physical integrity and have banned the practice of female genital mutilation. True, the operations performed on children with intersex conditions are set in a proper clinical environment and are intended to help them develop a gender identity. But the lasting effects of reducing potential for full enjoyment of sexual experiences are often ignored — along with a person’s right to make informed decisions.

OII Australia fully supports the call made by Tony for these interventions to end. Indeed, this is a core goal of our organisation.

More information

Briffa, Tony. 2004. ‘Intersex Surgery Disregards Children’s Human Rights’. Nature 428 (April): 695. https://doi.org/10.1038/428695a.