The Association for Transgender Health in India (ATHI) has written a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendar Jain requesting them to ban sex reassignment surgeries on intersex children until they reach 18. The association further seeks a ban on the “two finger-test” or the virginity test on transgenders, women with disabilities and victims of sexual assault.

The group urged the Delhi government to implement the ban in the city and following the order of the Madras High Court that recently put a ban on sex reassignment surgeries on intersex infants and children.  Dr Aqsa Shaikh of ATHI told The Indian Express, “When an intersex person grows up, many times the parents do not even tell them that they have been operated on in childhood. It’s sometimes an accidental discovery for the child, and that can be very traumatic. This discovery can happen during puberty, sometimes post-marriage when they face infertility issues. They feel cheated as something was done to their body without their consent… If it is not life-threatening, then it should be avoided until the child reaches 18 so that they can decide.”

In 2014, the Supreme Court had said that such surgeries on infants and children should be banned. Dr Shaikh added, “Surgeries are performed on intersex children for non-critical conditions after taking the family’s consent. These are mostly for cosmetic reasons, to make sure these children fit into what is traditionally considered the ‘normal genitalia.”

The association also suggested to the department of health, social welfare, and Delhi Medical Council to adopt measures to prevent sex reassignment surgeries, and bullying against intersex children.

Source: Indian Express