Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility
04:22

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility

Published on: May 30, 2025

Intersex medical guidelines in the UK and Germany: a critical discourse analysis

Sarah Knaus1,2, Robbie Duschinsky3, Tessa Morgan4

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria sarah.knaus@meduniwien.ac.at.

Medical Humanities
|May 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Medical guidelines for intersex infants reveal ongoing ideological conflicts. Despite reforms, surgical interventions persist, highlighting the social construction of sex and gender in healthcare. This analysis compares UK and German DSD guidelines.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Social Sciences
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infants with Differences in Sex Development (DSD) have historically faced non-consensual surgeries for sex assignment.
  • Medical practices reflect an ideological tension between biologically essentialist views and the social construction of sex.
  • Reforms in pediatric endocrinology and surgery emphasize communication and delayed interventions, yet surgical practices remain prevalent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically analyze and compare the most recent Differences in Sex Development (DSD) medical guidelines from the UK (2021) and Germany (2024).
  • To examine the underlying ideological conflicts in intersex medical discourse through the lens of poststructuralist queer theory.
  • To explore how medical guidelines function as performative speech acts in constructing sex and gender.

Main Methods:

  • Critical discourse analysis of UK (2021) and German (2024) DSD medical guidelines.
  • Comparative analysis of guideline content and underlying discourse.
  • Theoretical framework integrating poststructuralist queer theory.

Main Results:

  • The analysis reveals persistent ideological conflicts regarding sex and gender in DSD management, despite guideline reforms.
  • Both UK and German guidelines, while updated, continue to reflect societal negotiations of sex and gender within medical discourse.
  • The study highlights the performative nature of guidelines in shaping medical understanding and practice.

Conclusions:

  • The ideological conflict surrounding intersex care has not been substantially resolved, as evidenced by continued surgical interventions.
  • Medical discourse, particularly within guidelines, plays a crucial role in constructing and negotiating sex and gender.
  • Comparative analysis of national guidelines offers insights into cross-cultural differences in intersex medical management and discourse.

Keywords:
Public healthpaediatricssexual and gender disorders

More Related Videos

FISH for Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis07:34

FISH for Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis

Published on: February 23, 2011

Related Concept Videos

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...
Sexually Transmitted Infections01:26

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:30

Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

A healthcare provider can diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI) through several methods:Medical History and Symptoms: The provider will take a detailed medical history and ask about symptoms such as frequent urination, burning sensation during urination, and lower abdominal pain.Urinalysis: A clean-catch urine sample is collected in a sterile container and tested for the presence of bacteria, white blood cells (leukocytes), nitrites, blood, and protein. The presence of leukocytes and...
Sex Linked Disorders01:43

Sex Linked Disorders

Like autosomes, sex chromosomes contain a variety of genes necessary for normal body function. When a mutation in one of these genes results in biological deficits, the disorder is considered sex-linked.
Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection01:30

Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection

Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization are the methods that help to break the infection chain and prevent disease.
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...