Thursday, July 7, 2011

Gender Vendors

Hundreds of girl children in Indore, India are being operated on to turn them into boys. Such surgeries -- on children as young as 1-5 years old -- are rampant in Indore's clinics and hospitals. Genitoplasty experts in the region admit that each of them have turned 200-300 girls into "boys" so far. The low cost of surgery ($3,300), relatively easy and unobtrusive ways of getting it done, and vague laws are even attracting parents from Delhi and Mumbai.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has called for the formation of a medical board of experts to decide on the need for such a surgery in every case, and stringent checks in all cities. "There should be a medical board to decide if the surgery is medically required. It has to be a responsible decision made by a panel and not a decision between a parent and a doctor,” said Professor Gautam Sen, member of the MCI board of governors.

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