Decision-Making and Implications of Sex-Reassignment Surgery in Intersex Individuals in the Arab World: A Case Series

Background: Knowledge, clinical guidelines, and medicolegal frameworks regarding intersex individuals are inexistent in the Arab world. Some medical professionals view intersexuality as a disorder of sexual development that often needs sex-reassignment surgery to correct while others natural variation along sex spectrum. No study date addresses vast gap literature. Methods: We contacted eleven non-governmental civil society organizations involved matters sexuality gender world through email. Eight answered but only one, Helem, had been directly supporting agreed an interview. conducted semi-structured interview with Helem after consent was taken from or their legal guardians share experiences. Results: studied three cases individuals, which two underwent at young age. The surgeries were experimental nature negative health consequences. Decision-making is influenced by physician factors, notably lack knowledge, parental like stigma. Sociocultural reasons factor decision more than scientific evidence. Physicians, presented, dealt rare pathology requiring urgent surgical intervention. Parents suffer significant psychosocial stressors. Conclusion: Medical ill-equipped deal world, performing unethical abusive practices for they not held accountable. Parent education referral intersex-knowledgeable physicians seem deter parents opting SRS. Intersexuality severely understudied ignored field. Guidelines required address this issue.