being told that she was the only person in the world with her condition. When speaking about self-esteem and how people born with physical discrepancies think of themselves, Green said, “It is important that you live your life, that you treat your body with the highest regard.” Infants and young children, however, cannot grow up loving themselves if they are altered and operated on from birth. They have no choice, no ability to make the life-altering decision of surgery. Even so, Nachman defended Poppas and his research for medical and other purposes, asserting that what he is doing is a standard clinical procedure. “Clearly, the surgery he performed was a clinical activity,” Nachman said. The issue still remains about the follow-up research activities. TamarMattis, a lawyer who has an intersex partner, expressed her concern that the real problem is that the children are not being treated like human beings. “I’ve become very worried about intersex children when they become objects of research,” Tamar-Mattis said. While it may seem that doctors take advantage of children and their families, regional pediatricians actually refer parents to Poppas from all around the world. More often than not, parents have the best interest
of their child at heart, but they are frightened about how their child will be received in society because of the physical difference. Parents agree to this surgery and research because they want their children to have happy, normal lives. However, as Feder asked, “Why would parents consent to procedures on behalf of their children when they would refuse the procedure themselves?” The surgery Poppas performs on infants with CAH benefits their health; however, it puts the infants who are healthy but “abnormal” at risk of psychological damage from the testing and objectification that follows. It is not ethical to treat patients like research objects instead of human beings. The children do not determine whether they will receive surgery—their parents do. Sometimes, parents do not know what is best for their children. Is gender identity still such a pressing problem that parents are not comfortable simply accepting their children for their differences? As Green said, “Each of us deserves to feel loved and respected for who we are.” Stephanie Black is a freshman drama major. E-mail her at sblack1@ithaca. edu.
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