Is it ethical for doctors to stimulate little girls' clitorises?

Hell no it's not ethical. That man is a sick freak. Unless there is a valid medical reason he shouldn't be touching them period. If when these children are women, they want to be surgically altered then that is their decision. I don't know which is worse - the pos parents putting them through it or the surgeons willing to do it.

Remember: these are elective surgeries done because a clitoris gets labeled "too big" by an adult looking at the child's genitals.

Well here's hoping they don't start taking close looks at ears or noses for fear they're too big at birth.....and will they be doing "reverse" surgeries for all the little boys who look too small at birth? By who's criteria are they determining what's to big?

No it is NOT ok, and what the hell is wrong with these people???

To paraphrase Pink Floyd: Doctor Leave These Kids Alone!

Unbelievable. If this isn't sexual abuse I don't know what is.

There is a valid medical reason. This is regarding intersex children (hermaphrodites) who undergo surgery to "make them girls" -

If you do a little more looking into some of the links in the article, this seems to have to do with children who are born with "intersex" difficulties, whose parents decide they should be raised as girls, so gonadal tissue is removed, and the size of (often small) phalluses are reduced so that it appears there is a clitoris, rather than a phallus.

The "testing" is done to determine if the nerves of the phallus/clitoris has been damaged during the surgery.

Since it is easier to change genitalia to look more like a girls' (easier to take away than add) parents often choose to go that route with their intersex children.

It appears that, more recently, the thoughts are turning to allowing an intersex child to determine what gender should pervail, since medical steps CAN be taken at later ages. They are tryng to get away from parents making the choice for the child in early childhood.

I am a bit troubled that this doctor who appears to be looked at as pretty much a God-send and a saint to parents and their children who have urological and genital "deformities", is being made to look like some sort of pervert in these articles that are floating around out there.

As the father of a girl and the grandfather of a girl, my first reaction was shock. No, revulsion defines it better. Upon reading VerbalBarb's comment, I realize there may be times when the procedure is appropriate, but that should not be my decision as a parent/grandparent. Each individual should be allowed to choose if they are happy or not about themselves.

Buy the young girl a gift voucher for the "surgery" that she can cash in when she's 18 -- if she wants to.

Apart from that: WTF!?

I don't know, maybe I'm missing something but this sounds pretty sick and pervy to me. Using vibrators on little girls clits to prove his surgery was "successful" We seem to have a history of denying that children are sexual beings in this country. I am opposed to circumcision as well. Let the child have all the facts, teach them good hygiene and then when they are 16 or 18 they can decide if they want to go ahead with circumcision.

I am not a doctor but I am a nurse and in none of my nursing training have I ever heard of anything like this. It does not make sense to me at all and I would be VERY suspicious of ANY physician who had any interest in the genitals of a female child unless there was some sort of infection or abnormality present. And under most circumstances, that would be shown to and discussed with a parent. Most physicians I know never even examine children without a parent being present unless there is suspicion of abuse and when this occurs, there is always some other staff present during the exam process.

It is my understanding that when children are born with ambiiguous genitalia (meaning they have the sex organs of both male and female) that the current standard it to leave the situation alone until it is determined which way the child is growing toward in terms of gender.

If I were a parent and if I went to a physician who wanted to be alone with my child for an exam, I would immediately take my child and go to the nearest exit.

Meh, I think we should just focus on genetic manipulation so these type of things can be fixed before they come out of the womb. Then the mother and father can choose boy or girl, and no one will be the wiser. None of us get to choose what gender we are... so what does it matter if the parents make the decision or fate does? One way or another you only get to be one gender... and if you aren't happy with it, then tough nugs heh. Be happy you are alive at all and stop worrying about if you "could have been a boy" or a girl. People do that all the time now without the decision being made for them. They are called transvestites.

So one way or another people will find a way to be unhappy. At least if you do something about it they can make choices for their life from a foundation of normalcy. Being dual gendered is just not a good situation for anyone to be in.

You should remember that this is someone elses life you are talking about. Not yours. If you want to put them through all kinds of adult decisions because off YOUR guilt, is that really saving them? "Oh , I wanted to leave you with a penis AND a vagina just cause I couldn't decide which to get rid of. You should be happy with yourself and who you are!" Great.... so after 40 years and intense therapy the person finally comes to grips with the fact they aren't a "freak" like every person they've ever tried to have a relationship has told them so far. Then they may finally find the 1 person in the world that is actually open minded and tolerant and that happens to be in love with them.

All because of some persons outrage... like so many things =P.

If I had to go through high school as a half man, half woman just cause my parents didn't have the guts to make a parental decision on my behalf like they are supposd to... that'd piss me off I would think.

But as far as the surgery goes... if it is perfect then yay... if it only provides some symblance of normality and everyone who looks can tell something strange and abnormal is going on down there... then it won't even help the situation more than likely, and then we need to turn to more advanced medical procedures like genetic manipulation.

People are cruel. Regardless of whether they should be or not. If you force someone to grow up with an abnormality just for the sake of your own conscience and guilt.. I'm not sure if you are doing them a favor, or just being selfish.

Heh, well regardless the point is still the same if the word was incorrect. We don't always get to choose. Sometmies we have to make the best of what we have. If people would focus more on being happy with what they have instead of wishing they were someone else then our entire world would be a little less stressful =P.

I kind of have a different view on the whole bit, so you aren't going to like talking to me at all =P.

I looked at that wiki page... I'm not sure what you want me to see there. I'm not ignorant of the issues, I just don't get caught up in any of the PC terms and such as I feel they are just emotional baggage used to artificially bolster an argument. I want them to do what they wish, and that is just as well for me. Men can dress up like women and have sex with other men if that is what makes them happy. They can marry each other, adopt foster children, or whatever else they care to do, and it makes absolutely no difference to me because it has nothing to do with my life or my ability to be happy.

Beyond that, I've never been accused of being a sympathetic person. I don't feel sorry for people for the choices they make in life. I don't believe that people do not have choices either. They may feel compelled to do something, but that doesn't mean they had to do it. They choose to because it is what they want, just like anyone else does. They choose to be with the same gender because it makes them happy, and they choose to accept the consequences of a society that doesn't acknowledge their right to do so. It is just the reality of it. We all have to live with our decisions. That isn't to say people SHOULD descriminate, just that they do and it is no secret and should be no surprise.

The point is, we all can decide once we are adults. It is our free will that makes that possible. Our nature is one thing, and our sentience another. We choose to be slaves to the body... or free from it. I choose the latter. Male... female... shemale... makes no difference to me I will judge you based on who you are not what your body is. If everything you are is based on your body... well... I guess you'd better hope I like your body then ;).

Take one more choice away from them.... very valiant statement truely, but one that in my mind holds only emotional undertones and not much reality. Some things just are. If you are born a man, and you WISH you were a female... well, I hate it for you. If your parents made decisions you don't agree with... again, hate it for you. In the end though, we make decisions based on the cards we were dealt. We either push forward, and make a success from our lives and find happiness... or we whine, give up, and complain about how we "wish" the world would be.

Parents are people too. What about THEIR choice? Why do you get to tell them what they should choose for their child any more than they do? Why is your opinion worth more than theirs? Is it because you feel you are ethically superior? probably.. and I would venture to say obviously =P. Would the child agree? Not sure... you seem to think you know what they want, even though you complain of their parents making the same assumptions.

In the end... this entire thread is focused on making decisions about someone elses life.. their children... for them. Exactly the same type of thing you accuse people of doing for the LGBT community. Telling them what they should do with their bodies and the bodies of their loved ones and children. Is it really your place to decide what these parents do with their kids? Are you saving the kids... or just projecting your own hopelessness unto them... thinking you are championing their cause because of personal experience?

It seems to me that controlling another person's life and children is just as bad as them trying to control your sexuality. While you may not agree with their choices... just as they don't agree with yours... don't you think you have to let them make their own mistakes and lives? Don't you think they deserve to be able to choose for themselves? Or is your opinion what matters, and they should live their lives as you wish becuse you feel righteous?

They feel righteous too... it would be wise to think about that before you try and tell them what to do with their bodies and the children that they have made with them. They have their own happiness to find, and their own path with its own trials to get there.