Ethical and legal aspects of management for disorders of sex development

Intense controversy surrounds the management of disorders of sex development, particularly in relation to the validity of parental consent for genital surgery and the removal of gonadal tissue carried out during infancy or childhood. Past practices have been heavily criticised on ethical grounds by...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of paediatrics and child health 2011-09, Vol.47 (9), p.661-663
Main Authors: Warne, Garry L, Mann, Annabelle
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Australia
Consent
developmental
Disorders of Sex Development - surgery
endocrinology
ethics
Gender Identity
Human Rights - legislation & jurisprudence
Humans
Infant
Law
Medical ethics
neonatology
Parental Consent - ethics
Parental Consent - legislation & jurisprudence
Parents & parenting
Patient Advocacy - ethics
Patient Advocacy - legislation & jurisprudence
Pediatrics
Sexual disorders
Surgery
Urogenital Surgical Procedures - ethics
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Intense controversy surrounds the management of disorders of sex development, particularly in relation to the validity of parental consent for genital surgery and the removal of gonadal tissue carried out during infancy or childhood. Past practices have been heavily criticised on ethical grounds by patient advocacy organisations, who have demanded a moratorium on these kinds of operations unless authorised by a court. Some doctors and hospital administrators have been influenced by the controversy and have referred cases to the Family Court of Australia, where a series of judgements have now established legal precedents that apply across Australia, restricting the circumstances in which parents can give consent for surgery. An alternative approach is to use a hospital‐based Clinical Ethics Response Group and, if necessary, Clinical Ethics Committee, which has lay and legal representatives as well as health professionals, as a semi‐independent committee of review. Finding a solution that protects the human rights and best interests of children is an ongoing challenge.
ISSN:1034-4810
1440-1754
DOI:10.1111/j.1440-1754.2011.02164.x