Medical violence against trans and intersex people is a phenomenon that, although often overlooked, has devastating consequences for the health and well-being of these communities. In a context where medicine should be a refuge of care and respect, many people are subjected to harmful medical practices that violate their autonomy and rights. In this article, we will explore the various forms of medical violence, the struggles for informed consent, and the urgent need to reform medical practices to ensure dignity and respect for all identities.
What is medical violence?
Medical violence can be defined as the disrespect, misinformation, or coercion that people experience in healthcare settings. For trans and intersex people, this can manifest through misdiagnoses, non-consensual treatments, and even surgical practices that are performed without proper informed consent. These experiences not only affect physical health, but also have a significant emotional and psychological impact.
Trans people are often subjected to surgical and hormonal procedures without receiving the necessary information about the risks and benefits, which raises serious questions about respect for their autonomy. Similarly, intersex people can be subjected to invasive surgeries in childhood, often without the consent of the parents or the person affected, which raises ethical questions about the right to the body and identity.
Informed consent: a fundamental right
Informed consent is an ethical and legal principle that guarantees that any medical intervention must be carried out with the explicit and conscious consent of the patient. However, in practice, many trans and intersex people find that their consent is not truly informed. This is due to the lack of adequate training of medical personnel on issues of gender and sexuality diversity.
For example, some clinics may offer hormonal treatments without adequately explaining the side effects or available alternatives. This not only violates the right to decide about one’s own body, but also contributes to distrust in the medical system. How can a person feel safe in an environment where their identity is ignored or misunderstood?
Harmful medical practices
Harmful medical practices towards trans and intersex people include, among others, the pathologization of gender diversity, the excessive medicalization of identity and the lack of adequate protocols for treatment.
Pathologization of gender diversity
Classifying gender identity as a mental disorder, as occurs in some health systems, perpetuates stigmas that can lead to poor medical care. This means that trans people are often seen as “sick” and therefore their treatment is based on a logic of correction rather than validation of their identity.
Excessive medicalization
Overmedicalization refers to the tendency to treat gender identity conditions as clinical problems requiring intervention. Many trans people feel that their access to healthcare is conditional on their conformity to certain gender standards, which can lead to a range of unnecessary and harmful procedures.
Fights for informed consent
Faced with these injustices, LGTBIQ+ communities have begun to organize to demand a change in medical practices. Activist movements have advocated for the creation of protocols that prioritize informed consent and the education of medical personnel about trans and intersex realities.
Additionally, social and political pressure has led some health systems to review their policies, although changes are slow and often incomplete. Collectives have begun to develop resources that help people understand their rights and demand respectful and dignified treatment in the medical field.
Open questions for reflection
However, we still have a long way to go. How can we ensure that all voices are heard in the medical field? Are we really prepared as a society to accept and respect the diversity of identities? These questions invite deep reflection on the role of medicine and ethics in caring for trans and intersex people.
Although many advocate a reform in the medical system, it is necessary to question who are driving these changes and with what interests. Sometimes reforms can be superficial, driven by social pressure rather than a genuine commitment to fairness and respect. Are we sure that these transformations are not influenced by conflicts of interest that prioritize the image of institutions over the real well-being of people?
Medical violence against trans and intersex people is a systemic problem that requires urgent attention. It is essential that the autonomy of these communities be recognized and that informed consent be guaranteed as a non-negotiable right. The fight for fair and respectful health care is also a fight for dignity and recognition of all identities. It is a call to action that must resonate in all areas of society, from medicine to education and politics. Only in this way can we build a future in which each person, regardless of their identity, can access the medical care they deserve.
