Research

Blog posts about medical or social research on intersex people.

There are no “nerve-sparing” surgeries on children with CAH: an interview with Dr. Casey Orozco-Poore, MD.

August 7th, 2023|

Traducción español: Laura Inter del artículo Maddie Moran from interACT sits down with Dr. Casey Orozco-Poore, graduate of Harvard Medical School, for a conversation on their recent groundbreaking research on CAH and so-called “nerve-sparing” surgeries. Their research, done alongside Alex S. Keuroghlian, MD, MPH, is titled: Neurological Considerations for ‘‘Nerve-Sparing’’ Cosmetic Genital Surgeries

  • Graphic showing the report cover for NASEM's "Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI Populations"

New Consensus Study Calls for Agencies to Collect Data on Intersex Status

October 27th, 2020|

By Dr. Arlene Baratz, interACT Medical Research & Policy Committee Chair     A landmark study, Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI Populations, was released this week by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). It finds that: Conversion therapy to change sexual orientation or gender identity can cause significant and life-long trauma, as

  • Headshots of 9 doctors doing work for intersex people. The 9 are arranged on a grid with an intersex flag in the corner.

9 Doctors Changing the Face of Healthcare for Intersex People

October 25th, 2020|

We’re grateful for the MDs working every day for intersex bodily autonomy. Here’s 9 who give us hope. By Hans Lindahl     Too many members of intersex communities are survivors of medical harm. Many endure the effects of infant genital surgeries that changed their lives before they were old enough to speak. Some intersex

  • Intersex data collection illustration: a researcher in a white lab coat pushes an intersex flag colored domino. The rest of the dominoes that will be knocked over form the shape of a question mark.

Intersex Data Collection: Your Guide to Question Design

August 24th, 2020|

One of the most common questions we get at interACT is: how do we handle intersex data collection on a form or survey? Ultimately, there’s no single correct answer. Formatting these questions depends on why you are asking them. We’re here to help guide the process to make sure that your questions are respectful

New study shows Higher Risks of Significant Anesthetic Brain Toxicity in Children with Repeat Hospitalizations or Surgery

May 3rd, 2018|

by Arlene B. Baratz, MD Chair, Medical and Research Policy Committee: interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth Coordinator, Medical and Research Affairs: AIS-DSD Support Group   In 2017, FDA announced that pediatric anesthesia may negatively affect brain development and issued its strongest possible warning. [16] The potential risk of anesthetic neurotoxicity in children with SWCAH is

Defining Successful Outcomes and Trade-Offs

January 25th, 2018|

interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth and AIS-DSD Support Group Joint Statement Regarding Requests to Participate in  “Defining Successful Outcomes and Trade-Offs” January 25, 2018   Last month, leadership of interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, the nation’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to advancing the human rights of children born with intersex characteristics, and The AIS-DSD

Refocus Intersex Care Standards


September 7th, 2017|

Human Rights Watch and interACT sent letters to the medical associations, the Pediatric Endocrine Society and the Societies for Pediatric Urology, urging them to use their upcoming international medical conferences to publicly affirm their support to end medically unnecessary surgery on intersex children. Read the press release below.

Report from I-DSD Copenhagen Conference by Anne Tamar-Mattis

July 5th, 2017|

Dear Friends and Fellow Advocates: I spent this week in Copenhagen, Denmark, representing interACT at the I-DSD conference.  This is an international conference for medical professionals and researchers who work with intersex patients, although they also allow patient advocates to attend.  My main purpose in going was to support my spouse, Dr. Suegee Tamar-Mattis,

What Hospitalists Should Know About Intersex Adults

June 19th, 2017|

Photo interACT Youth Advocate Irene took many years ago while waiting in the hallway for her doctors. interACT supporter Elizabeth Reis is doing important work to raise awareness of the needs of intersex people in hospitals. “What Hospitalists Should Know About Intersex Adults,” published in the Summer 2016 issue of Perspectives in Biology

New study shows intersex kids doing fine without surgery!

June 9th, 2017|

For almost a quarter century, the medical community has been aware of the profound damage that can result from nonconsensual genital surgery performed on intersex infants.  But an increasingly small number of doctors still insist that such surgery should continue – simply because they don’t know what will happen to intersex kids if they don’t have surgery.  Finally, a group

This Is A Custom Widget

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This Is A Custom Widget

This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.