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Family Perceptions and Coping Strategies in Cases of Intersexuality: Understanding their Significance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Medeiros Rocha Santos Moara de  and
Cristina Cavalcanti Ferreira de Araujo Tereza
Medeiros Rocha Santos Moara de*
Affiliation:
Universidade de Brasília (Brazil)
Cristina Cavalcanti Ferreira de Araujo Tereza*
Affiliation:
Universidade de Brasília (Brazil)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Moara de Medeiros Rocha Santos, Doutora em Psicologia pela Universidade de Brasília (Brazil). E-mail: moara@unb.br
Tereza Cristina Cavalcanti Ferreira de Araujo, Profª Drª do Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade de Brasília (Brazil). Phone: (61).3273.0838 Fax: (61).3349.0183. Email: araujotc@unb.br
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Abstract

Considering that the intersexual condition has a negative impact on the individual, their family, and society, health professionals and researchers have dedicated themselves to studying and assisting families faced with such an experience. The purpose of this study is to describe and understand the perceptions of primary caregivers regarding intersexuality and its developmental aspects. Six mothers and one grandmother of school age children were interviewed. The data indicated that living with the stigma of intersexuality can mean a permanent state of crisis within the family system. Issues such as guilt about the child's suffering and questions related to the choice of gender follow the family from the moment of diagnosis. It is suggested that the therapeutic follow-up should foster the necessary conditions for the family group to be organized as a model of competence, replacing the model of guilt.

Considerando que la condición intersexual tiene un impacto negativo en el individuo, su familia y la sociedad, los profesionales e investigadores de la salud se han dedicado a estudiar y ayudar a las familias que afrontan tal experiencia. El objetivo de este estudio es describir y entender las percepciones de los cuidadores primarios con respecto a la intersexualidad y sus aspectos evolutivos. Se entrevistaron a seis madres y una abuela de niños en edad escolar. Los datos indicaron que vivir con el estigma de la intersexualidad puede significar un estado permanente de crisis en el sistema familiar. Problemas tales como la culpa por el sufrimiento del niño y las preguntas relacionadas con la elección del género acompañarán a la familia desde el momento del diagnóstico. Se sugiere que el seguimiento terapéutico promocione las condiciones para la organización del grupo familiar como modelo de competencia, reemplazando el modelo de culpabilidad.

Keywords

intersexualityfamilyhermaphroditismpsychological supportintersexualidadfamiliahermafroditismoapoyo psicológico
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , November 2008 , pp. 573 - 580
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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