Colby, Who Is a Newborn, Has Genitals That Do Not

question 42

Multiple Choice

Colby, who is a newborn, has genitals that do not look obviously either male or female. Colby has a structure that is larger than a clitoris but significantly smaller than the average penis, and Colby has a pouch of skin that could be a scrotum, but it does not appear to contain testicles. To increase the chance that Colby will grow into a well-adjusted child and adult, what should Colby's parents do?

• A) Request that their doctor perform surgery to alter Colby's genitals to appear female, as this is more likely to be successful than if efforts are made to make the genitals appear male.
• B) Avoid surgery to modify Colby's gender until Colby is older.
• C) Not allow anyone to refer to Colby as either male or female, and encourage Colby to develop an androgynous identity.
• D) Request that their doctor perform surgery to alter Colby's genitals to appear male, because it is easier to create a male gender identity than a female one.

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Definitions:

Kilograms

A unit of mass in the metric system, equivalent to 1,000 grams, used globally for measuring weight.

Per Hour

A rate or measurement that denotes something occurring or calculated over the course of an hour.

Material Variance

The difference between the actual cost of materials used in production and the standard cost expected.

Favourable Variances

Differences between actual and budgeted performance that result in better than expected financial outcomes.