In February Alice Dreger published an article which explored the construct of gender and the current medical model lack of psych-social support for boys born with hypospadias in Pacific Standard.
“Males are sometimes born with a urinary meatus (what kids might call “the pee hole”) somewhere other than the tip of the penis, which can make it difficult to meet this last demand. When a doctor notices it, a newborn lad gets hit with a diagnosis of hypospadias.
Parents of boys with hypospadias are often led to believe “corrective” surgery is necessary and worth the risks, however, Urologists don’t typically suggest that, before consenting to surgery, parents talk to the men in the Hypospadias and Epispadias Association”
Offering resources and examining the messages we impart to American boys learning about what makes a “real man”: compassion, acceptance, joy, and love. Read the full article here
Alice Dreger is a long time supporter of AIC and professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
Pacific Standard is a print magazine and website that grapples with the nation’s biggest social, political, and economic issues by focusing on what shapes human behavior—the psychological tendencies, hidebound customs, material conditions, prevailing institutions, and galvanizing ideas that propel modern life.
