Donate

SHARE

PRINT

ISSUES

Adolescent Sexuality>Resources for Educators Working with Adolescents, General Articles, General Articles|Sexual Health>LGBTQ

Intersex Inclusion in Sex Education

by Pearl McAndrews, SIECUS Policy Intern

Intersex individuals have long been excluded from conversations and curriculum around sex education, despite inclusion within the LGBTQIA+ acronym. This blog post will discuss the importance of inclusive education that affirms, protects, and uplifts intersex students, ranging from demonstrated positive health outcomes of comprehensive sex ed to insights from intersex youth themselves. Finally, advocates can find policy and practice recommendations, as well as action steps, to further advance sex education for all. 

An Intersex-inclusive Progress Pride Flag via Tong Su, Unsplash

Key Definitions and a Brief History of Intersex Movements

The term intersex is an umbrella term used to describe unique differences in sex traits or reproductive anatomy. This umbrella term includes differences in genitalia, hormones, internal anatomy, or chromosomes that may present at birth or later as a person grows up. Intersex also describes a community of people who share these experiences (e.g.,” the intersex community”) and who make up about 1.7% of the population (or 5.7 million people in the United States). DSD, stands for “difference/disorders of sex development” and is a term that is often still used in medical settings; however, it is a term often rejected by the intersex community due to the connotation that intersex people or intersex traits are inherently wrong and must be corrected. For more definitions, check out interACT’s’s Intersex Variations Glossary here.

Since the 1950s, medical providers have continued to perform medically unnecessary and nonconsensual surgeries on babies born with intersex traits, pressuring parents to consent to “normalizing” surgeries that are irreversible and are not needed for the health of the child. There may be a belief that these surgeries do not occur or occur much more infrequently than decades ago. However, research shows that these surgeries still occur with no evidence of a significant change in this practice. Experts, advocates, and intersex people have long called for an end to these procedures. There is a growing movement globally to end these procedures for young minors. In the US, bills have been introduced in five states to prohibit infant surgeries; however, none have passed.

As a part of the larger bodily autonomy movement, the issues faced by the intersex community can be similar to the issues faced by the trans community. However, there is a distinct difference between these two terms, as well as the lived experiences of these two communities. Trans people have a gender identity that’s different from the sex they were assigned at birth and can obtain gender affirming care to align with their gender identity should they want to. Transphobia, homophobia, and stigma against LGBTQIA+ people contribute to the prejudice faced by intersex people, however, advocacy for intersex issues increases bodily autonomy for all people—including the right to gender affirming care and recognition for trans and gender non-conforming people. The inclusion of the “I” for intersex in LGBTQIA+ is a deliberate choice that honors this solidarity and the overlap in experiences and identities of LGBTQIA+ people. The current anti-trans policies being pushed by the Trump administration are harmful to trans, non-binary, and intersex people alike. As of February 2025, Health and Human Services has moved to comply with the Trump Administration’s earlier executive order, which defines a narrow gender binary that conflates male and female with gender, only briefly mentioning  intersex people using the stigmatizing term “disorders of sexual development.” In the face of this attack, which attempts to erase sex and gender outside of a false binary, inclusion in sex education and access to medically accurate information remains of the utmost importance.  

Comprehensive Sex Ed and Intersex Inclusion

Comprehensive sex education (CSE) in schools allows students of all identities and backgrounds to receive medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive education. Recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and supported by research, CSE works to normalize the diversity of student experiences, bodies, and identities—and holds the potential to address the marginalization experienced by intersex students. As described above, non-consensual medical procedures “normalize” intersex babies and youth to strictly adhere to the binary of male and female. CSE, in addition to advocacy that ends such procedures, CSE has the potential to give intersex youth accurate and affirming information about intersex people that can help them thrive.

There are a plethora of topics within CSE that can support the well-being of intersex students (and all students). First, bodily autonomy stresses that all have the right to make decisions regarding one’s own body, including deciding at any point who may or may not touch their body in any way. As described above, intersex youth are often subjected to medically unnecessary “corrective” surgeries at a time when they’re too young to provide informed consent for any sort of procedure. Similarly, instruction on informed consent not only prevents abuse and sexual violence but can also promote confidence and healthy decision-making for students in all situations. Other positive outcomes of intersex-inclusive CSE include reducing the invisibility of intersex people, normalizing the diversity of bodies, and reducing the stigma faced by intersex students. When CSE is taught to all students, without harmful barriers such as parental opt-in or gender segregation, all students can receive the information they need to make informed, safe choices. Finally, the explicit inclusion of LGBTQIA+ identity within CSE—including intersex people and experiences—can promote social acceptance, reduce bullying, and increase positive mental health outcomes for students. Currently, state and federal legislation make no explicit mention of intersex students in sex education requirements. However, several states have made legislative strides to promote intersex wellbeing; in 2023 New York State passed legislation to conduct an outreach campaign on medically unnecessary treatments on intersex people, which served as the first bill of its kind.

While comprehensive studies on intersex wellbeing remain to be conducted, a recent report from the Trevor Project on the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth who are also intersex found higher rates of mental health challenges for intersex youth compared to their peers. These challenges included higher rates of suicidality and major depressive disorder. However, the report also found that acceptance by family, friends, and households was a strong protective factor against suicide risk. In an increasingly hostile world, social inclusion through measures such as CSE is of the utmost importance to make intersex and other marginalized students feel accepted, safe, and affirmed for who they are.

Voices of Intersex Youth

What do intersex youth themselves have to say? Youth members of interACT shared that a wide variety of actions from their teachers, families, and doctors would be helpful and supportive for their health and well-being. For educators, discussing sex, gender, and diversity while prioritizing the voices of intersex students in a non-tokenized manner is helpful. Specifically, within sex education, making explicit inclusion of intersex experiences and the potential variations in puberty can be helpful, while also not putting the onus on intersex students themselves to share. Families can be supportive by prioritizing open communication, advocating on behalf of their child in medical and institutional settings, undertaking their own education, and affirming their child’s choices with love and care. Intersex adults echo these sentiments with a simple phrase—“support the sh*t out of them.” For medical providers, youth stress informed consent, transparency, and the need for holistic and competent care, including mental health therapy, non-stigmatized language, and consideration of the person throughout care.  

Policy and Practice Recommendations

interACT is an advocacy organization that  “uses innovative legal and other strategies to advocate for the human rights of children born with differences in their genitals, chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive anatomy.” Policy and best practice recommendations to support intersex students include, but are not limited to:

  • Ensure the use of informed consent in all health policies and procedures, including ending forced and unnecessary medical procedures for intersex youth. 
  • Prioritize intersex health and experiences in research, data collection and provider trainings to ensure competency in care. 
  • Promote inclusion and education for caregivers, family members, teachers, and support staff of intersex youth. 
  • Amplify the voices and experiences of intersex people.
  • Explicit mention of intersex students in policies and procedures to safeguard privacy and acceptance for all students.
  • Include all types of bodies and reproductive anatomy in sex education.
  • Promote intersex inclusion with LGBTQIA+ groups and school GSAs.

Next Steps & Resources 

Take Action: 

Learn More: 

References (Order of Appearance):

Sign Up for Email Updates

Interested in receiving the latest updates from SIECUS? Join our email list today.

Email Signup