Minister defends early cutting of sex organs from children born with both

By Staff Reporter

Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Sleiman Timios Kwidini has defended government policy which directs the early cutting of one sex organ from a child born with both male and female ones saying this was meant to avoid the health risks associated with the surgical operation when the child has grown older.

He was responding to a question by Goromonzi West legislator Karimatsenga-Nyamupinga who asked during the ministers’ question time Wednesday what government policy was regarding children born with both organs.

The Zanu PF legislator cautioned if performed wrongly, a child could bear the biological costs of having to survive with an organ that runs contrary to their hormones when they grow older.

“If that person is regarded as a homosexual, what is government policy because that will be a problem caused by the doctors who may have operated or removed an organ that was not supposed to be removed,” Nyamupinga-Karimatsenga said.

In his response, minister Kwidini defended the severing of one of the organs when the child is still a baby.

“When a child is born, there are a lot of tests carried out and doctors make a determination on where the dominant sex will be,” he said.

“As the child grows, hormones may change but that becomes a problem for the child.

“If the child is let to grow with two sex organs, it may become difficult to operate at a later age.”

The minister added, “For now, that was the method that was recommended that the operations are much more successful at a younger age than later.”

The minister promised to do more research on the government’s policy on the matter so as to “give a comprehensive response”.