Health and medical ethics (page 7 of 19)

For an introduction to these issues, see our page on bodily integrity

an outline of a court building

Statement on Re: Kelvin

We commend the Full Court of the Family Court in deciding to permit a competent transgender adolescent to make their own informed decision about stage 2 hormone treatment, in consultation with clinicians and their parents. We hope that Kelvin is also well connected with his peers. As the Australian Human Rights Commission has noted, this…
Read more →

My Body, My Choice

The Yogyakarta Principles plus 10

An important and long-awaited supplement to the Yogyakarta Principles is published today. The Principles apply international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation, gender identity, and now also gender expression and sex characteristics.

Steph Lum in Geneva, 2018

Steph Lum: speech to Canberra think tank on LGBTIQ inclusion

Steph Lum gave this speech to the Inclusive Canberra think tank, held by the ACT LGBTIQ Ministerial Advisory Council, on 14 November 2017. Tonight I am speaking as a young person with an intersex variation. I’m really encouraged that we have such a positive environment here in the ACT and there’s a lot of energy…
Read more →

Jenny Brockie, on SBS Insight

SBS Insight screen episode on intersex people and medicine

In November 2017, SBS Insight screened a program on the medicalisation of intersex people. Several IHRA members and directors participated, as well as parents and clinicians. The full episode is available to view online.

Rod of Asclepius

Clinical opposition to early intersex medical interventions

Clinicians are increasingly raising their voices in opposition to forced and coercive interventions, including Physicians for Human Rights and the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association. More action is needed – particularly in Australia.

the shape of Victoria, in purple

Gaslighting in Victoria

In mid 2016, OII Australia made a submission to the United Nations Committee against Torture documenting human rights violations against intersex people in Australia. Since around that date, the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria has systematically removed evidence of human rights violations, including psychosocial justifications for surgeries such as “marriage” prospects, and…
Read more →

an outline of a court building

The Family Court case Re: Kaitlin [2017] FamCA 83

The Family Court of Australia has recently published a new case involving an intersex child, this time where the parents sought consent for their child, an adolescent, to obtain treatment for “gender dysphoria”. Unlike in the recent Family Court case Re Carla (Medical procedure) [2016] Fam CA 7, the case was not supported by a…
Read more →

Darlington retreat

Darlington Statement

The Darlington Statement is a joint consensus statement by Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand intersex organisations and independent advocates, agreed in March 2017. It sets out the priorities and calls to action by the intersex human rights movement in our countries.