ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York is requiring state health officials to develop an outreach program to educate parents and doctors about the harmful impacts of medically unnecessary treatments performed on young children born intersex. Advocates for the statewide legislation say the medically unnecessary operations on infants and young children born intersex come with a slew of potential negative impacts that parents and doctors must be aware of. Various health and human rights organizations, including the Physicians for Human Rights, a U.S.-based nonprofit that advocates against human rights violations around the world, in the past have called for an end to the medical treatments. A majority of advocacy groups estimate that there are about 5.6 million people in the United States who were born intersex, according to The Associated Press. In California, a majority of state lawmakers rejected a bill in 2020 that would have banned some medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children until they are old enough to participate in the decision.

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Persons: Kathy Hochul, Rebecca Seawright Organizations: —, New, Council, Physicians for Human Rights, Physicians, Human, Associated Press, American Locations: ALBANY, N.Y, — New York, New York, U.S, United States, California