Gabrielle found out she was intersex when she was in year 12 and says she 'wasn't allowed to tell anyone because I would be deemed a freak'. Here's what she wants you to know today.
Gabrielle Colliver was studying for her HSC when she got a diagnosis that doctors said would change her life, and left her feeling isolated and confused.
It can be used to describe someone who has congenital adrenal hyperplasia , which can affect the production of hormones; to those with hypospadias, when the opening of the urethra is not located at the tip of the penis.And while someone who is intersex can display physical differences at birth, including both male and female reproductive organs, others may not realise they are intersex until they are older.
"There's also the mental harm that can be affected to people from having the loss of autonomy, so not being given the ability to decide what happens to your own body." In the 2021 Census, around 0.17 per cent of the population said they were "non-binary" when asked about their sex, a term used to indicate people don't conform to traditional ideas of being exclusively male or female. But the Australian Bureau of Statistics notes this could not be used as a measure for people with variations of sex characteristics as people had different interpretations of what it meant.
She describes the treatments as "horrible ... inappropriate, irreversible treatments that were not medically required and certainly weren't done in my best interests or in the best interests of my health"./Tony, who lives in Victoria, says she tried to live as a man for a few years despite being born with female genitalia and being raised as a girl.
"Pre-mid-1990s the doctors may have thought that what they were doing was in the best interest of the children; they can't be saying that now," she says.A spokesperson for The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne says it provides individualised clinical care for children with intersex conditions or DSD.
The spokesperson says the hospital has been an active participant in state and national reviews of models of care.The Australian Human Rights Commission in October 2021, urged all Australian governments to implement measures to prevent harmful medical interventions on intersex people without personal consent.
Leaving the decision up to a panel would also be beneficial for parents who may feel pressured to agree to surgeries, while also protecting clinicians if their recommendations are supported.So far in Australia, only Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory have taken action on legislation to restrict medical interventions.In Victoria, Equality Australia was engaged to consult with stakeholders on a legal framework and there is hope it will move forward.
"The NSW Government is committed to supporting our LGBTIQ people and communities across NSW," the spokesperson said. "There is still more work to do."Gabrielle says being intersex doesn't have to be as "hyped up" as she believes some of her doctors made it.
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