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Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, the historical root of cosmetic genital surgeries for children with intersex conditions, now argue that vaginal reconstruction surgery is not needed for most girls born with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. Research is done by Todd Purves, Jennifer Miles-Thomas, Claude Midgeon, and John Gearhart, and will be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics this weekend.
The study compared 18 women who received genital surgeries with 11 who did not, and found that their rates of sexual activity were similar. "It is a common misconception in the general public--and quite often among doctors--that most girls born with this condition should have vaginal reconstruction in order to be sexually active," said Purves, as if his mentors at Johns Hopkins University weren't responsible for spreading such misconceptions. "Our findings show that, on the contrary, most young women choose not to have the surgery, have vaginal depths that are within normal parameters and can lead active sexual lives."
Posted by Emi on Oct 28, 2007