Intersex children in Spain can no longer be subjected to medically unnecessary genital surgery under a law that went into effect on Thursday.
The bill, which also allows transgender people aged 14 or older to change their legal gender without a medical diagnosis, carries a raft of provisions to protect intersex youth.
It includes a complete ban on unnecessary intersex surgeries for children under 12. Older children can request to undergo surgery if wanted.
The law also gives parents up to a year to register the sex of babies who are neither clearly male nor female at birth. It was praised by intersex organisations as a rare move to protect their rights.