‘—

Assignment 03: The Medical Construction of Gender

Suzanne Kessler’s essay, “The Medical Construction of Gender” is an investigation into intersex infants, and the various methods that their doctors use to “create” a gender for the infant or decide upon the gender. Issues arise when the cultural idea of gender is reinforced by the actions of doctors who intend to “correct” inter-sexuality in their patients. To doctors, there may be more than one gender, but there are only two distinct biological sexes, something that often influences the medical procedures that infants who are born as intersex undergo.

Doctors use the theory of gender developed in 1972 that states that gender is changeable in an infant but only for up to 18 months. This theory is successful only when certain conditions are met beforehand a sex change operation, such as the genitals being made to match the chosen gender as quickly as possible, and being able to administer gender hormones when the child is in puberty. According to this theory, a child will identify with the gender chosen for them through these procedures and will accept their gender identity.

The doctors interviewed in Kessler’s essay state the importance of the professionals involved choosing a gender, and assigning it immediately without any doubt. The urgency of acting quickly is emphasized by the Money theory. The amount of chromosomes and intersex infant is born with can be used to diagnose the issue and identify the true gender of the child, and often help in choosing which procedure is best.

The fact that doctors ultimately want an intersex child to be one gender, and to identify as that gender illustrates the way inter-sexuality is viewed in society. Parents and doctors view intersexuality as a medical condition that must be fixed with urgency, which reinforces the notion that there are only two genders. While it is in the best interest in terms of simplicity to give a gender to an intersex infant, its cultural impact is larger than expected.