Contesting Intersex: The Dubious Diagnosis Summary

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Gender is a socially constructed idea in which either be male or female categorizes the sex of individuals. But what happens when the sex of an individual is either of does. Are they abnormal people and they must be fixed? Intersex people are the people that fall in the middle of the two sex categories. Dr. Georgiann Davis is an intersex person. She is the author of the book Contesting intersex: The Dubious Diagnosis. Dr. Davis in her book talks about her personal experience as an intersex person, interviews with other people that are also intersex, the opinion of the medical field parents of intersex individuals, and also members of the different organization that fights for the rights of intersex people. The focus of Dr. Davis book is the significance …show more content…

DSD disorder of sex development is the new name that medical professionals have to adopt not to use the word intersex. Among the intersex community, this decision is not acceptable because they say, "we are not disordered, but different, and we refuse to accept medical language and views which pathologize us" (Davis 2015, pg 38). In medical terms disordered means that even though something does not seem as normal, it can be fixed so it can fit the expected characteristics. In this case will be either become a male or female. Also, the term DSD had created a difference between how intersex people are treating by professional cares Dr. Davis mentions people that accept the new name are more likely to have a better relationship with their physician compared to the people that continue identify their selves as intersex. In chapter 4 Dr. Davis states "to reject DSD language is to challenge the medical professionals biopower over one's body". (Davis 2015, pg 109). Challenge the medical terminology means go against the belief system of gender in which medical institutions are founded. Indicating that this is more than just a medical

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