More or Less Radio 4 now - prevalence of intersex

31 replies

Bittermints · 18/01/2019 16:32

They're very good at this. Examining the common as redheads claim and the 1.7% claim.

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GrowlingJaguar · 18/01/2019 16:43

It was a sound debunking of that 1.7% figure with the Royal Free consultant who was interviewed suggesting the figure was closer to 0.1%, even taking into account those people who wouldn't necessarily be known to the medical community. Also covered the use of language and how many people with DSD wouldn't consider themselves to be intersex.

Original poster

Bittermints · 18/01/2019 16:43

Well, that was well handled.

The endocrinologist said he didn't like the intersex term and would prefer to use disorders of sexual development. As a non-medic with no personal experience of this I was pleased to hear him say this, as I've never understood why all disorders of sexual development are bundled together when the symptoms and treatment needed are very different. He talked about Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Women suffering from this have been described as intersex and he said he didn't think that was merited. From what I can make out there is no doubt whatsoever that women with CAH are female. If they are removed from the total, the estimate of prevalence goes right down and he said he thought it might be 1 in 1000, so 0.1%. Rather different from 1.7%. He didn't explicitly say there are two sexes, male and female, but he certainly didn't suggest that there were more.

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JSmitty · 18/01/2019 16:38

I first noticed More or Less when they debunked the Harman/Baird claim about foreign sex workers in the UK being trafficking victims, based on nothing more than a circularity of assumption and devoid of any facts.

Northernsights · 18/01/2019 16:37

Listening to this too- very good indeed

R0wantrees · 18/01/2019 16:35

Just listening to this too.

PineappleSunrise · 18/01/2019 16:35

Good to hear.

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