Are intersex allowed to get "corrective" surgery and marry in the Church?

[Debora123]

I am referring specifically to “true gonadal intersex.”

This is when the individual has both ovarian and testicular tissue, as well as both XY and XX chromosomes.

What happens to the individual in this case? Is it morally permissible to allow them to “determine” which gender they identify themselves with and have corrective surgery? If so, would they be allowed to go on and marry in the Catholic Church?

 

[meltzerboy]

I am referring specifically to “true gonadal intersex.”

This is when the individual has both ovarian and testicular tissue, as well as both XY and XX chromosomes.

What happens to the individual in this case? Is it morally permissible to allow them to “determine” which gender they identify themselves with and have corrective surgery? If so, would they be allowed to go on and marry in the Catholic Church?

Not exactly an answer to your question, but it may be interesting to some that as far back as the Babylonian Talmud, c. 200 C.E., the Mishnah discusses intersex infants–who consist of three variations–as well as several other categories of sexuality not fitting into male or female. It is the understanding of the rabbinical sages that trying to change an intersex baby may not always be in the best interest of the child and their own desires (not that there were such surgeries at the time). However, in Jewish Law, it is permitted to modify the sex of an intersex infant by means of surgery, based on a medical determination of the true sex of the child.

 

[meltzerboy]

Not exactly an answer to your question, but it may be interesting to some that as far back as the Babylonian Talmud, c. 200 C.E., the Mishnah discusses intersex infants–who consist of three variations–as well as several other categories of gender not fitting into male or female. It is the understanding of the rabbinical sages that trying to change an intersex baby may not always be in the best interest of the child and their own desires (not that there were such surgeries at the time). However, in Jewish Law, it is permitted to modify the sex of an intersex infant by means of surgery, based on a medical determination of the true sex of the child.

 

[Catholic80]

This isn’t an answer either, but I had wondered this too at some point, and am curious to hear others’ answers.

I one time watched a program where these people were chimeras. The title of the program was, “I Am My Own Twin.” These were cases where there were two fertilized eggs in the womb (non-identical twins) and somewhere, early on in the development, the two fertilized embryos fused together and developed into one person with 2 DNAs.

Some organs would have one set of DNA, and other organs, the other set of DNA. In some cases, some parts of the body were a lighter or darker shade than the rest. And, of course, in the cases where one egg had XY and the other had XX, the person had two separate genitalia.

This brings up a whole slew of questions about the soul and about the human person that, I too, am curious about.

 

[Debora123]

This isn’t an answer either, but I had wondered this too at some point, and am curious to hear others’ answers.

I one time watched a program where these people were chimeras. The title of the program was, “I Am My Own Twin.” These were cases where there were two fertilized eggs in the womb (non-identical twins) and somewhere, early on in the development, the two fertilized embryos fused together and developed into one person with 2 DNAs.

Some organs would have one set of DNA, and other organs, the other set of DNA. In some cases, some parts of the body were a lighter or darker shade than the rest. And, of course, in the cases where one egg had XY and the other had XX, the person had two separate genitalia.

This brings up a whole slew of questions about the soul and about the human person that, I too, am curious about.

It’s all very interesting and very bizarre, and definitely brings up a lot of questions concerning things we believe in as Christians.

 

[1ke]

I am referring specifically to “true gonadal intersex.”

This is when the individual has both ovarian and testicular tissue, as well as both XY and XX chromosomes.

What happens to the individual in this case? Is it morally permissible to allow them to “determine” which gender they identify themselves with and have corrective surgery? If so, would they be allowed to go on and marry in the Catholic Church?

There is no one answer to this question.

This is a matter of chromosomal abnormalities. there are a number of different types (XYY, XXY, etc) and the answer would be dependent upon the facts of the case. Klinefelter, aphallia, hypogonadism, and ovotestese are all very different things.

This book has been suggested in the past: Medicine and Christian Morality by Fr. Thomas J. O’Donnell, SJ

 

[livingwordunity]

I am referring specifically to “true gonadal intersex.”

This is when the individual has both ovarian and testicular tissue, as well as both XY and XX chromosomes.

What happens to the individual in this case? Is it morally permissible to allow them to “determine” which gender they identify themselves with and have corrective surgery? If so, would they be allowed to go on and marry in the Catholic Church?

I think I remember from Biology that they are sterile and asexual. So why would they want to get an operation or get married?

 

[Debora123]

I think I remember from Biology that they are sterile and asexual. So why would they want to get an operation or get married?

Are they asexual?

I didn’t know that. But even if they were, I definitely think they would still want to be able to identify themselves as a particular gender, and be as “normal” as possible by having the operation. Identity and feeling like you fit in with your species is a very fundamental and very important human need.

 

[Debora123]

There is no one answer to this question.

This is a matter of chromosomal abnormalities. there are a number of different types (XYY, XXY, etc) and the answer would be dependent upon the facts of the case. Klinefelter, aphallia, hypogonadism, and ovotestese are all very different things.

This book has been suggested in the past: Medicine and Christian Morality by Fr. Thomas J. O’Donnell, SJ

True gonadal intersex is a very specific “type” of intersex when the individual has both ovarian and testicular tissue, as well as both XY and XX chromosomes. “True Hermaphrodite” was the term given to them in the past.

People who have the XXY and XYY and XXX are referred to as “complex or undetermined Intersex.” nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001669.htm

Thanks for the recommendation on the book. I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime. Stuff like this really interests me.

 

[GraceDK]

There is an answer, and that answer fits totally well with what the church teaches.

youtube.com/watch?v=p5LRdW8xw70&feature=related

This is a documentary recently made in Norway. Its called the gender equality paradox… Its an extremely well made documentary with some extremely knowlegdable people in it. It shows with all clarity the latest science on your question… but also it shows how some people are opposed to science due to a political or ideological agenda.

I recommend you watch this whole episode.
But if you want the precise answer to the question to your question in this thread go to .
16:40 and on… Dr. Diseth is an expert on precisely children who are born with no clear genital sexual identity to define what sexuality they have. They are born with a clear innate disposition when it comes to sexual gender identity, he says, inspite of the fact that they are born with confusing outward appearance…

Good luck