EBB 361 - Supporting Intersex Communities during Birth with Niki Khanna and Catherine Clune-Taylor, Co-Presidents of InterACT

Evidence Based Birth®

Rebecca Dekker

Pregnancy, Health & Fitness, Childbirth, Parenting, Birth, Medicine, Kids & Family, Doula, Obstetrician, Midwife

4.6 • 978 Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Most parents are told their baby is either a boy or a girl. But what happens when a baby is born with intersex traits—and how can birth workers and clinicians respond with compassion, accuracy, and care? In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker speaks with Niki Khanna, MA, MFT, and Dr. Catherine Clune-Taylor, co-presidents of InterACT, about how to support families when a baby’s physical sex characteristics don’t fit binary expectations. Together, they explore how often this occurs, what parents are typically told in the hospital, and why rushed decisions about infant genital surgery can cause lasting harm. They also share powerful insights on how to provide affirming care, connect families with community, and ensure every baby is welcomed with dignity.

(05:43) What Does “Intersex” Mean and How Common Is It?

(09:05) Why Many Intersex Traits Aren’t Identified at Birth

(13:36) Understanding CAH and Newborn Screening

(17:24) The History of Infant Surgeries and Gonadectomies

(19:49) What Parents Are Told—And Why It’s Often Incomplete

(29:06) Ethics, Consent, and Who Gets to Decide

(35:40) Why Intersex Babies Deserve Affirming, Informed Care

(42:20) Barriers to Care for Intersex Youth and Adults

Resources

Learn more: interactadvocates.org | Instagram
Find support groups: InterConnect
Documentary on YouTube, "Intersexion: Boy or Girl?" click here

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone. On today's podcast, we're talking with Nikki Kuna and Catherine Kloon-Taylor,
0:05.8	co-presidents of Interact, about supporting intersex communities in birth.
0:13.6	Welcome to the Evidence-Based Birth Podcast. My name is Rebecca Decker, and I'm a nurse
0:18.4	with my PhD and the founder of evidence-based birth.
0:22.2	Join me each week as we work together to get evidence-based information into the hands of
0:27.2	families and professionals around the world. As a reminder, this information is not medical advice.
0:33.7	See eBbirth.com slash disclaimer for more details.
0:37.5	Hi, everyone. Happy Pride Month. see eBbirth.com slash disclaimer for more details.
0:44.7	Hi everyone, happy pride month and welcome to today's episode of the evidence-based birth podcast. Today we have two very special guest experts who are going to talk with us
0:49.9	about an important topic we've never covered before on the EBB podcast, and that is
0:55.3	supporting intersex families during birth. Before we get started with today's episode, I've got a
1:00.3	quick and exciting announcement for you. Applications for the 2025 Evidence-Based Birth
1:05.6	Instructor Program are officially open. If you're a birth worker or healthcare professional
1:10.4	with at least one year
1:11.4	of experience in the maternity care field, this is your chance to become a trained and licensed
1:16.5	EBB instructor. That means you'd be able to teach the official evidence-based birth, childbirth
1:21.4	class to families, either in person or online, and lead our EBB Pro workshops for doulas, labor and delivery nurses, midwives,
1:29.8	and others. Becoming an EBB instructor is a powerful way to use your voice and skills to make a
1:35.4	real impact in your community, and you won't be doing it alone. You'd be joining a global
1:40.3	community of birth workers who are passionate about improving birth and bringing evidence-based
1:45.0	care into more and more settings. Now here's the important part. The deadline to purchase your
1:50.5	application if you intend to apply is Monday, June 23 at 5 p.m. Eastern and a completed application is
	...

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