‘Sex-normalising’ surgeries on babies born intersex have been banned in Greece under a new law approved by parliament on 19 July.
The Medically Assisted Reproduction Reforms Act prevents doctors from carrying out said operations on people under the age of 15 unless they have a court order stating otherwise.
Those who break the law will face fines and time in prison, Reuters reported. Intersex people subjected to these operations in the past have experienced a number of health issues, including sterilisation and loss of sexual sensation.
The surgeries attempt to make a child ascribes to the traditional notions of male and female. People older than 15 will still be allowed to seek out surgeries and/or hormonal therapies that can change the body under the new law.