The medical, psychological and social aspects of disorders of sex development (DSD) represent a c... more The medical, psychological and social aspects of disorders of sex development (DSD) represent a challenge for the management of these patients. However, advances in our understanding of the etiology and genetics of this condition, novel surgical approaches and the growing influence of patient groups as well as wider recognition of ethical issues have helped improve the care of patients with a DSD. Importantly, a multidisciplinary approach involving specialists is crucial for understanding and treating such rare and complex cases. According to the recommendations of the Swiss National Ethical Commission, we shall use the term « Variation of Sex Development » rather than « Disorder of Sex Development » in this publication. This article addresses the care of DSD patients throughout development from the point of view of specialists in complementary fields
To the Editor, We thank Dr. Hadidi for the response[1] to our comment[2] on the study by Wirmer e... more To the Editor, We thank Dr. Hadidi for the response[1] to our comment[2] on the study by Wirmer et al. [3]. However, due to significant misrepresentations therein, we must correct the record. Hadidi incorrectly states that our second, fourth, and fifth references do not support our conclusions, because they “are not even related” to hypospadias surgery. In fact, Reference 4 in our letter[2] explicitly discusses hypospadias (and hypospadias surgery) at multiple points, including under the broad heading of “congenital genital anomalies” (p. 159). It also refers to the possibility that negative experiences associated with “early” genital surgery – not only neutral or positive experiences as implied by Wirmer et al. – may contribute to “loss to follow-up” (p. 170). Although the authors of Reference 4 mention this possibility in relation to the general category of patients with “DSDs” (a term they previously suggested may or may not include hypospadias), the hypothesis itself is a general one and is therefore relevant to patient attitude surveys, such as the one by Wirmer et al., with significant unexplained loss to follow-up.
To the Editor, Wirmer et al.[1] report on 81 patients (15-43 y/o, Mage = 19.7) who underwent hypo... more To the Editor, Wirmer et al.[1] report on 81 patients (15-43 y/o, Mage = 19.7) who underwent hypospadias surgery before age 2, stating 90% “were satisfied with early hypospadias surgery,” with decisional regret (DR) in 21% (14.8% mild; 6.2% moderate). Dismissing DR classifications as misleading, they conclude their findings “support the current practice of operating hypospadias in early childhood.” We commend the authors for investigating patient, not only parent, attitudes. But it is premature to answer “Yes” to their broader question: “Should we correct hypospadias during childhood?” “Should” implies an ethical evaluation involving facts and values.
Is there anything left to "sex" that is not the "gender construction of biology&qu... more Is there anything left to "sex" that is not the "gender construction of biology"? With the fruit fly, this article seeks to rethink the substance of sexual difference--here called "naked sex"--as that part of sex which rebuffs the gender microscope. Naked sex haunts the terms by which feminist scholars have deconstructed the (un)scientific construction of sex, and have challenged biological determinism and gender biases in science. The sex-determining genes appear as the minimal bundle for this returning residue which secures the epistemology of gender that is naked sex. The experimental history (1976-1979) of the Drosophila sex-determining gene, Sex-lethal, displaces the insistent question of "what is real/biological about biological sex" toward an inquiry into the "realization" of sex through sexing and unsexing research practices, wherein sex becomes scientifically performative. Unexpectedly, sex never emerges as naked sex throughout this singular exploration of "How to Do Scientific Things with Sex" in the lab.
The NeuroGenderings project is reminiscent of an interdisciplinary program called Critical Neuros... more The NeuroGenderings project is reminiscent of an interdisciplinary program called Critical Neuroscience. But the steps towards a feminist/queer Critical Neuroscience are complicated by the problematic ways in which critical neuroscientists conceive of their critical practices. They suggest that we work and talk across disciplines as if neuroscientists were from Mars and social scientists from Venus, assigning the latter to the traditional feminine role of assuaging conflict. This article argues that brain science studies scholars need to clarify how we want to frame our critical practices - a critique of what and for whom? - and promote interdisciplinarity. The challenge is to articulate a critical stance that could not be collapsed into the all-encompassing claims of neuroscience, Critical Neuroscience included. I suggest we shift focus: from enhanced communication to the study of controversies (but also non-controversies, failed controversies, etc.) and conflicts. I explore the productiveness of this shift through two examples: the non-controversial notion of brain plasticity, and the controversial question of whether gender identity formation in intersex people is a function of their brain or their genitals. “Socializing” neuroscience with insights from gender and science studies is good; highlighting the conflicting dimensions of social life in the same gesture is even better.
This article sets out to analyse the nature and forms of the resistance which Anglo-American prod... more This article sets out to analyse the nature and forms of the resistance which Anglo-American productions encounter, first of all in the village of the undefeated Gallic women. It studies how the distribution of dichomotic oppositions (between essentialism and constructivism, anti-feminism and feminism, sex and gender), depending on the transatlantic positioning, makes it possible for French feminists no only to deconstruct what Americans have called French Feminism, but above all to define themselves against the former. The binational rhetoric also makes it possible for French feminists to Anglo-Americanise feminist questions around the gender concept. Reformulating the “gender problem” as a problem of representation should make it possible to see better how Anglo-American feminism made in France contains a crisis of representation among feminists in the here and now.
Background The current literature highlights a strong link between the poor health outcomes of tr... more Background The current literature highlights a strong link between the poor health outcomes of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals and their negative experiences in various areas of life. Most of these publications rely on adults' memories, lacking a focus on the current experiences and needs of young transgender and genderdiverse individuals. Furthermore, previous studies on support for these young people often solely consider the perspectives of TGD adults or professionals and rarely involve parents' viewpoints. Methods This study will use a mixed sequential method with a participatory approach. Firstly, the qualitative phase will explore the difficulties and needs of TGD (15-20 years old) and of the families and professionals who support them. Results from this part will be used to develop the questionnaire for the quantitative phase, with the help of a community board. Secondly, based on participatory epidemiological research, the quantitative phase will use an intersectional perspective to measure the impact of individual and structural factors on the quality of life and wellbeing of transgender and gender-diverse young people. Finally, a co-creation phase will be undertaken to formulate recommendations based on the results of the first two phases. Discussion This research aims at better understanding the influence of gender identity on the quality of life and health of TGD young people and their families and to identify protective and risk factors that affect their vulnerabilities. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Erasme Faculty Hospital (CCB B4062023000140). As this research is participatory and part of a PhD dissertation, we aim to disseminate the results through our partners' networks and structures locally, and internationally through conferences and peerreviewed journals.
Ce dossier croise les regards sur les sciences du cerveau afin de mettre les neurosciences à l’e... more Ce dossier croise les regards sur les sciences du cerveau afin de mettre les neurosciences à l’épreuve de leurs ambitions et interroge en retour les SHS. Il témoigne des tensions épistémiques entre disciplines. This special issue cross-references the views on brain sciences in order to test neuroscience for their ambitions and in turn questions the SHS. It reflects epistemic tensions between disciplines. Este dossier cruza los puntos de vista sobre las ciencias del cerebro para probar la neurociencia en función de sus ambiciones y, a su vez, cuestiona al ciencias sociales y humanas. Refleja tensiones epistémicas entre disciplinas
Cet article se propose de retracer une histoire de la sexologie a Lausanne des annees 1950 a 2000... more Cet article se propose de retracer une histoire de la sexologie a Lausanne des annees 1950 a 2000 sous l’angle du desir sexuel et de ses problemes. Il s’interesse tout particulierement a la maniere dont s’est construit localement un savoir expert sur le desir sexuel, des femmes en particulier, entre theories sexologiques, pratiques cliniques, de conseil conjugal et de planning familial, dans le contexte politique et social de la Suisse romande de la deuxieme moitie du 20eme siecle. A partir de cette etude de cas, basee sur l’analyse des archives du Centre medico-social Pro Familia de Lausanne et diverses autres sources produites par les acteur/trices les plus implique-e-s dans le domaine de la sexologie en Suisse romande, il s’agira d’integrer les « troubles » du desir sexuel dans une histoire plus large du desir et de la sexualite. Par l’identification des termes qui regissent la question du desir sexuel (sauvegarde de l’union conjugale, regulation des naissances, lutte contre l’avortement, epanouissement personnel, etc.), nous mettrons ainsi en evidence les diverses modalites sur lesquelles la question du desir sexuel cristallise, pendant la periode consideree, des normes de sexe, de genre et de sexualite, mais aussi des enjeux disciplinaires et professionnels (en particulier, entre sexologie medicale, conseil conjugal et planning familial) dans l’etablissement d’une approche medico-sociale de la sexualite). ENGLISH ABTRACT: This article retraces the history of sexology in Lausanne from 1950 to 2000, with a thematic focus on the issue of sexual desire. It seeks to analyze the singular ways in which expert knowledge about sexual desire, female sexual desire in particular, was produced at the intersection of sexological theories, clinical practice, couple counseling, and family planning in the social and political context of the second half of the 20th century in French-speaking Switzerland. Based on archival research in the social medical Centre «Pro Familia» in Lausanne and on various other sources produced by the main actors involved in the field of sexology in French-speaking Switzerland, this case study makes it possible to appreciate sexual desire «problems» within a broader history of desire and sexuality.This article iden- tifies the terms governing the issue of sexual desire (saving marriages, birth control, fighting abortion, personal development, etc.) to better highlight the va- rious ways in which, at the time, normative ideals for sex, gender, and sexuality crystallized in the issue of female sexual desire, but also disciplinary and professional tensions (especially between medical sexology, couple counseling, and family planning), in the process of establishing a medical social approach to sexuality.
The medical, psychological and social aspects of disorders of sex development (DSD) represent a c... more The medical, psychological and social aspects of disorders of sex development (DSD) represent a challenge for the management of these patients. However, advances in our understanding of the etiology and genetics of this condition, novel surgical approaches and the growing influence of patient groups as well as wider recognition of ethical issues have helped improve the care of patients with a DSD. Importantly, a multidisciplinary approach involving specialists is crucial for understanding and treating such rare and complex cases. According to the recommendations of the Swiss National Ethical Commission, we shall use the term « Variation of Sex Development » rather than « Disorder of Sex Development » in this publication. This article addresses the care of DSD patients throughout development from the point of view of specialists in complementary fields
To the Editor, We thank Dr. Hadidi for the response[1] to our comment[2] on the study by Wirmer e... more To the Editor, We thank Dr. Hadidi for the response[1] to our comment[2] on the study by Wirmer et al. [3]. However, due to significant misrepresentations therein, we must correct the record. Hadidi incorrectly states that our second, fourth, and fifth references do not support our conclusions, because they “are not even related” to hypospadias surgery. In fact, Reference 4 in our letter[2] explicitly discusses hypospadias (and hypospadias surgery) at multiple points, including under the broad heading of “congenital genital anomalies” (p. 159). It also refers to the possibility that negative experiences associated with “early” genital surgery – not only neutral or positive experiences as implied by Wirmer et al. – may contribute to “loss to follow-up” (p. 170). Although the authors of Reference 4 mention this possibility in relation to the general category of patients with “DSDs” (a term they previously suggested may or may not include hypospadias), the hypothesis itself is a general one and is therefore relevant to patient attitude surveys, such as the one by Wirmer et al., with significant unexplained loss to follow-up.
To the Editor, Wirmer et al.[1] report on 81 patients (15-43 y/o, Mage = 19.7) who underwent hypo... more To the Editor, Wirmer et al.[1] report on 81 patients (15-43 y/o, Mage = 19.7) who underwent hypospadias surgery before age 2, stating 90% “were satisfied with early hypospadias surgery,” with decisional regret (DR) in 21% (14.8% mild; 6.2% moderate). Dismissing DR classifications as misleading, they conclude their findings “support the current practice of operating hypospadias in early childhood.” We commend the authors for investigating patient, not only parent, attitudes. But it is premature to answer “Yes” to their broader question: “Should we correct hypospadias during childhood?” “Should” implies an ethical evaluation involving facts and values.
Is there anything left to "sex" that is not the "gender construction of biology&qu... more Is there anything left to "sex" that is not the "gender construction of biology"? With the fruit fly, this article seeks to rethink the substance of sexual difference--here called "naked sex"--as that part of sex which rebuffs the gender microscope. Naked sex haunts the terms by which feminist scholars have deconstructed the (un)scientific construction of sex, and have challenged biological determinism and gender biases in science. The sex-determining genes appear as the minimal bundle for this returning residue which secures the epistemology of gender that is naked sex. The experimental history (1976-1979) of the Drosophila sex-determining gene, Sex-lethal, displaces the insistent question of "what is real/biological about biological sex" toward an inquiry into the "realization" of sex through sexing and unsexing research practices, wherein sex becomes scientifically performative. Unexpectedly, sex never emerges as naked sex throughout this singular exploration of "How to Do Scientific Things with Sex" in the lab.
The NeuroGenderings project is reminiscent of an interdisciplinary program called Critical Neuros... more The NeuroGenderings project is reminiscent of an interdisciplinary program called Critical Neuroscience. But the steps towards a feminist/queer Critical Neuroscience are complicated by the problematic ways in which critical neuroscientists conceive of their critical practices. They suggest that we work and talk across disciplines as if neuroscientists were from Mars and social scientists from Venus, assigning the latter to the traditional feminine role of assuaging conflict. This article argues that brain science studies scholars need to clarify how we want to frame our critical practices - a critique of what and for whom? - and promote interdisciplinarity. The challenge is to articulate a critical stance that could not be collapsed into the all-encompassing claims of neuroscience, Critical Neuroscience included. I suggest we shift focus: from enhanced communication to the study of controversies (but also non-controversies, failed controversies, etc.) and conflicts. I explore the productiveness of this shift through two examples: the non-controversial notion of brain plasticity, and the controversial question of whether gender identity formation in intersex people is a function of their brain or their genitals. “Socializing” neuroscience with insights from gender and science studies is good; highlighting the conflicting dimensions of social life in the same gesture is even better.
This article sets out to analyse the nature and forms of the resistance which Anglo-American prod... more This article sets out to analyse the nature and forms of the resistance which Anglo-American productions encounter, first of all in the village of the undefeated Gallic women. It studies how the distribution of dichomotic oppositions (between essentialism and constructivism, anti-feminism and feminism, sex and gender), depending on the transatlantic positioning, makes it possible for French feminists no only to deconstruct what Americans have called French Feminism, but above all to define themselves against the former. The binational rhetoric also makes it possible for French feminists to Anglo-Americanise feminist questions around the gender concept. Reformulating the “gender problem” as a problem of representation should make it possible to see better how Anglo-American feminism made in France contains a crisis of representation among feminists in the here and now.
Background The current literature highlights a strong link between the poor health outcomes of tr... more Background The current literature highlights a strong link between the poor health outcomes of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals and their negative experiences in various areas of life. Most of these publications rely on adults' memories, lacking a focus on the current experiences and needs of young transgender and genderdiverse individuals. Furthermore, previous studies on support for these young people often solely consider the perspectives of TGD adults or professionals and rarely involve parents' viewpoints. Methods This study will use a mixed sequential method with a participatory approach. Firstly, the qualitative phase will explore the difficulties and needs of TGD (15-20 years old) and of the families and professionals who support them. Results from this part will be used to develop the questionnaire for the quantitative phase, with the help of a community board. Secondly, based on participatory epidemiological research, the quantitative phase will use an intersectional perspective to measure the impact of individual and structural factors on the quality of life and wellbeing of transgender and gender-diverse young people. Finally, a co-creation phase will be undertaken to formulate recommendations based on the results of the first two phases. Discussion This research aims at better understanding the influence of gender identity on the quality of life and health of TGD young people and their families and to identify protective and risk factors that affect their vulnerabilities. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Erasme Faculty Hospital (CCB B4062023000140). As this research is participatory and part of a PhD dissertation, we aim to disseminate the results through our partners' networks and structures locally, and internationally through conferences and peerreviewed journals.
Ce dossier croise les regards sur les sciences du cerveau afin de mettre les neurosciences à l’e... more Ce dossier croise les regards sur les sciences du cerveau afin de mettre les neurosciences à l’épreuve de leurs ambitions et interroge en retour les SHS. Il témoigne des tensions épistémiques entre disciplines. This special issue cross-references the views on brain sciences in order to test neuroscience for their ambitions and in turn questions the SHS. It reflects epistemic tensions between disciplines. Este dossier cruza los puntos de vista sobre las ciencias del cerebro para probar la neurociencia en función de sus ambiciones y, a su vez, cuestiona al ciencias sociales y humanas. Refleja tensiones epistémicas entre disciplinas
Cet article se propose de retracer une histoire de la sexologie a Lausanne des annees 1950 a 2000... more Cet article se propose de retracer une histoire de la sexologie a Lausanne des annees 1950 a 2000 sous l’angle du desir sexuel et de ses problemes. Il s’interesse tout particulierement a la maniere dont s’est construit localement un savoir expert sur le desir sexuel, des femmes en particulier, entre theories sexologiques, pratiques cliniques, de conseil conjugal et de planning familial, dans le contexte politique et social de la Suisse romande de la deuxieme moitie du 20eme siecle. A partir de cette etude de cas, basee sur l’analyse des archives du Centre medico-social Pro Familia de Lausanne et diverses autres sources produites par les acteur/trices les plus implique-e-s dans le domaine de la sexologie en Suisse romande, il s’agira d’integrer les « troubles » du desir sexuel dans une histoire plus large du desir et de la sexualite. Par l’identification des termes qui regissent la question du desir sexuel (sauvegarde de l’union conjugale, regulation des naissances, lutte contre l’avortement, epanouissement personnel, etc.), nous mettrons ainsi en evidence les diverses modalites sur lesquelles la question du desir sexuel cristallise, pendant la periode consideree, des normes de sexe, de genre et de sexualite, mais aussi des enjeux disciplinaires et professionnels (en particulier, entre sexologie medicale, conseil conjugal et planning familial) dans l’etablissement d’une approche medico-sociale de la sexualite). ENGLISH ABTRACT: This article retraces the history of sexology in Lausanne from 1950 to 2000, with a thematic focus on the issue of sexual desire. It seeks to analyze the singular ways in which expert knowledge about sexual desire, female sexual desire in particular, was produced at the intersection of sexological theories, clinical practice, couple counseling, and family planning in the social and political context of the second half of the 20th century in French-speaking Switzerland. Based on archival research in the social medical Centre «Pro Familia» in Lausanne and on various other sources produced by the main actors involved in the field of sexology in French-speaking Switzerland, this case study makes it possible to appreciate sexual desire «problems» within a broader history of desire and sexuality.This article iden- tifies the terms governing the issue of sexual desire (saving marriages, birth control, fighting abortion, personal development, etc.) to better highlight the va- rious ways in which, at the time, normative ideals for sex, gender, and sexuality crystallized in the issue of female sexual desire, but also disciplinary and professional tensions (especially between medical sexology, couple counseling, and family planning), in the process of establishing a medical social approach to sexuality.
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Papers by Cynthia Kraus