Help Wanted

We have been contacted by a researcher who is working on a PhD. She is trying to find out the consequences on the lives of children, adolescents and young adults in the UK who were treated for intersex conditions and/or gender identity disorder. She writes as follows:

“What were the effects of medical treatment on the development of gender identity in individuals who may have been classified as ‘intersex’ and/or ‘transsexual’. For the purpose of this research, this includes surgical, hormonal or psychiatric treatment. There does not appear to have been any research like this done before. I am not looking for details about the treatments themselves, but how people felt, what the impact was on their lives, and the development of their identity. That identity may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, straight or whatever.

I would like people who think they may have been subject to such treatment who are interested in taking part to contact me. I will send further details of the study and some guidance so that people can tell me their “stories”.

I will use the memories and recollections of individuals’ experiences from early childhood to early adulthood, and their hindsight now to see whether there are any lessons for the future. Everything will be in strictest confidence, and people rendered anonymous.”

michelle.obrien@roehampton.ac.uk

Michelle O’Brien
School of Business and Social Science
Department of Sociology
Southlands College
University of Surrey Roehampton
80 Roehampton Lane
London SW15 5SL