|
中間性 |
|
導言：一個複雜的問題
|
|
|
|
涉及雌雄同體植物的的植物學符號。在此，雌性要素用紅色顯示，雄性要素用藍色顯示，而且它們共有的圓圈為紫色。現在，這個符號常常用來代表人類的中間性。
|
|
|
|
|
在大多數的時候，大多數人承認人類分為兩個性別——女性和男性。例如，當一個寶寶生下來的時候，急忙看看孩子的性器官通常會是每一個人腦海中想到的問題：是男孩還是女孩？
但是，就像我們已經在第一講(人體性解剖學與性生理學基礎)所瞭解到的那樣，事情並不總是如此的簡單。除了正常的男女解剖發育以外，有某些不正常的“中間狀態的”孩子誕生，這使得我們難以決定新生兒的性別。現今，這樣的新生兒通常用中間性的術語予以歸類。通過全面的檢查，某些這樣的新生兒顯示出女性或男性為主的生理特徵，故此我們比較容易找到適當的解決辦法。但是，偶爾，有證據顯示問題是如此之複雜，以至於需要涉及到深遠的倫理選擇，需要長久的仔細思量和會診才能夠做出性別取捨。這些個選擇不僅會擺在前來會診和決策的醫學和心理學專家的面前，而且也擺在了家長的面前，最終，也擺在了處於發育中的孩子、青少年和(所涉及到的)成人的面前。說實在的，近年來，許多成年的中間性者已經著手組織起來，而且向社會表達他們的挫折感；因為在他們的嬰兒期，他們的性別選擇只是被那些短視的醫生善意地給做出了決定。這種對於傳統醫療慣例的批評也日益波及到對於我們整個社會-文化傳統的批評方面；因為，社會-文化傳統堅持在兩性之間作出清晰的劃分，而且不屑於認可任何的“中間性別狀態”。
|
|
Intersexuality
|
|
Introduction: A Complex Problem
|
|
|
|
Botanical symbol referring to a double-sexed plant - a combination of the symbols for female and male.Here, the female element is shown in red, the male in blue, and their common circle in purple. The symbol is now often used for human intersexuality
|
|
|
|
|
The division of human beings into two sexes - female and male - is taken for granted by most people most of the time. For example, when a baby is born, a quick look at its sex organs usually settles the question on everyone’s mind: It is either a girl or a boy.
However, as we have seen in Course 1 (Basic Human Sexual Anatomy and Physiology), the matter is not always that simple. In addition to the typical female and male anatomical developments, there are some atypical “intermediate” cases that can make it difficult to determine the sex of a newborn child. Today, such cases are usually summarized under the term
intersexuality. Some of them show, upon closer inspection, a clear preponderance of femaleness or maleness, and this makes it easier to find an appropriate solution. However, occasionally the problem proves to be so complicated that it requires long deliberations and consultations involving far-reaching ethical choices. These choices confront not only the medical and psychological specialists dealing with the case, but also the parents, and eventually the growing child, adolescent or adult as well. Indeed, in recent years, many intersexual adults have begun to organize and to vent their frustration with the choices that had been made for them in their infancy by well-meaning, but short-sighted doctors. This
critique of traditional medical practice increasingly also involves a
critique of our entire socio-cultural tradition which insists on a clear division between the sexes and has little patience with anything “in between”.
|
