Stigma and Disparities Among Intersex Individuals in the United States
When thinking of the LGBTQIA+ community, most individuals think of sexuality, followed by gender identity. However, some people forget about the intersex population within the LGBTQIA+ community. Intersex individuals make up about 2% of the LGBTQIA+ community, or over 5 million individuals nationwide, according to the Trevor Project.
What is Intersex?
Intersex is a broad term that describes individuals that have differences in their sexual or reproductive organs. Intersex also refers to individuals with genetic variation in their sex chromosomes, such as mosaicism, monosomy, or deletions.
It is important to acknowledge that the term intersex is socially constructed, and the definition of intersex may vary by medical professionals and organizations. In the past, medical professionals have used harmful language and completed unethical surgeries for intersex individuals. Today, this contributes to the negative language and mistreatment of intersex persons. This continues the cycle of improper medical care, psychological harm, and societal stigma.
To learn more about intersex in the LGBTQIA+ community, check out the Intersex Society of North America, or click the link below.
https://isna.org/faq/what_is_intersex/
The Climate in 2026
Despite efforts to combat stigma within the LGBTQIA+ community, there are still prominent levels of stigma. Often, intersex individuals are grouped with transgender and non-binary individuals, and subject to the same political rhetoric. Many political groups are against accessible hormonal therapy for intersex individuals or feel it should only be offered out of medical necessity. The discrimination of gender-affirming care and hormone-based therapies creates barriers to obtaining services and endangers the physical and psychological wellbeing of intersex individuals. Furthermore, the dismissive nature of the current political climate and the belief that gender is binary continues to reduce the accessibility of services, creates political power in medicine, fuels safety concerns, and propels stigma for the intersex community and the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole.
Health Inequities
A lack of access to affirming health care services
Intersex individuals face an ongoing struggle of receiving affirming healthcare.
The first barrier to affirming health care is the lack of awareness and education among health professionals. Many health professionals are unsure of the needs of intersex persons or how to best support them. Aspects such as not acknowledging an individual’s pronouns or referring to gender as binary, continues to create barriers in healthcare for intersex individuals. On the other hand, some health professionals lack knowledge and compassion towards intersex individuals by promoting surgical interventions, which creates distrust among medical professionals and long-lasting trauma. Furthermore, medical mistrust is increasingly prominent among the intersex community, as many people have had negative experiences with healthcare providers in their younger years, including non-consensual genital mutilation. Moreover, unethical genital mutilation is an ongoing issue within the intersex community. Some physicians suggest this to ‘normalize’ or ‘conform’ an individual to societally accepted gender norms. However, this is deeply harmful both physically and emotionally. Healthcare professionals who fail to acknowledge or dismiss prior traumatic experiences, like genital mutilation, create additional disparities in care.
Mental health crisis: anxiety, depression, and suicidality
In general, LGBTQIA+ individuals have close to double the rates of mental health conditions compared to heterosexual individuals. In the intersex community, nearly ¾ of individuals report symptoms of anxiety, over half report depression symptoms. For suicidality, more than half of individuals report considering suicide and a quarter of individuals have made attempts to commit suicide. Aspects like parent-directed stigma, a lack of autonomy in surgical or medical interventions, ongoing medical trauma, and a lack of affirming mental health support contribute to the disproportionate mental health disparities faced by the intersex community.
Pressure to conform to binary gender roles
Binary gender roles become a tricky area within the intersex community. Many individuals are introduced to the idea of a cisgender gender identity at a young age, through parental or guardian pressures. This pressure to conform to a cisgender identity is detrimental in multiple areas of an individual’s life.
As a child, intersex persons may not have the autonomy to make medical or surgical decisions about their anatomical or hormonal needs, creating long-lasting physical and psychological trauma.
Into adulthood, childhood experiences create a distrust of medical professionals, especially in non-affirming healthcare spaces. Additionally, this can transfer into relationships as well, as individuals may not want to disclose their intersex identity out of fear, safety, and stigma.
So, what can we do now?
For practitioners and providers,
Use inclusive, respectful language! And correct individuals who still use outdated terms or harmful language.
Use the proper pronouns or ask if you are unsure of which pronouns to use.
Only ask about hormonal therapies or a person’s surgical history if it is absolutely necessary.
Always ask if a client wants their intersex identity recorded for medical records. Not all clients want their gender identity recorded in their medical records.
Offer comprehensive trauma-informed training for LGBTQIA+ client interaction to all staff. Provide staff with resources if they feel unsure of how to support a client, and identify a staff member as a point of contact for any staff questions or concerns.
Provide resources such as mental health support groups and a list of local affirming medical providers or surgical resources upon request.
Avoid pushing hormonal or surgical treatments on intersex individuals.
Consent is key! Every step in a client’s journey should involve their informed consent.
For individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community and community allies,
Use inclusive, respectful language! And correct individuals who still use outdated terms or harmful language.
Using the proper pronouns or ask if you are unsure of which pronouns to use.
Avoid being invasive; don’t ask about a person’s health journey or their surgical history.
Stop supporting organizations or platforms that support gender conversion therapy or mutilation surgeries.
Continue to educate yourself by furthering your knowledge about the community.
Support non-profit organizations that are centered on intersex individuals.
Be an ally in the intersex community and for the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Celebrate Intersex Awareness Day!
For intersex youth between 13-29,
Please take a moment to reflect on your identity and the current level of support you have.
Do you have access to affirming healthcare professionals and mental health services? Do you have a supportive support network? Are you connected with other youth that identify as intersex or within the LGBTQIA+ community?
If you answered no to any of these questions, if you would like access to affirming mental health services, or if you would like to meet other individuals who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community, JASMYN’s got you!
At JASMYN, we provide a variety of mental health support services and support spaces!
For individuals between the ages of 13-17, we offer a Teen Drop-In support group! This space allows teens to engage with other peers in the LGBTQIA+ community, and to receive support from affirming staff members. Click here to access the JASMYN Teen Page.
If you are between the ages of 13-29, JASMYN offers free counselling and mental health support services. Click here to access the Mental Health Services Page.
If you are above the age of 18, JASMYN hosts a variety of support groups and community hang-outs! Want to learn more about our upcoming events? Click here to see the Young Adult Calendar.
Please remember, you are loved, you are valued, you matter, and you are never alone.
Happy Intersex Awareness Day!
