Research Seminar: Intersex child – Revisiting Holistic Care

‘Is it a boy or a girl?’ This is the most frequently asked question whenever a child is born. Although the answer is straightforward in the majority of cases, it is not so clear-cut in a small proportion. Gender is assigned according to the appearance of external genitalia, however,  in Malta, between 1 and 4 children are born with atypical genitalia every year.  

Being unable to assign a sex to the newborn is not only distressing to the parents, but also creates a dilemma for the doctors who have to guide the parents when making decisions which will often have long-term effects on the child. What does the holistic care of an intersex child entail, and how can the interests of the child and the future adult be protected?

Claudia Bartolo, a wife and a mother graduated in Bioetichs, be exploring this subject this Tuesday, 19th February 2019 at the University of Malta.

Ms Bartolo is a State Registered Medical Laboratory Scientist specialized in Diagnostic Andrology. In 2010, she graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) in Theology, and in 2015 she joined the course leading to an M.A. in Bioethics. The title of her M.A. thesis is ‘The Intersex Child: An Ethical Approach to Holistic Care.’

The public lecture, which will be in Maltese, will be held at 4pm in Room 317 at the Faculty of Theology. The general public is invited to attend. For a temporary parking permit for visitors, kindly email [email protected] or use this invitation.