BACKGROUND: Intersex individuals experience poor health due, in part, to healthcare avoidance. Nonconsensual intersex surgery may contribute to medical mistrust and avoidance among intersex populations.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between nonconsensual surgery and healthcare avoidance among intersex populations and to examine if medical mistrust mediates this relationship.

METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected in 2018 and analyzed in 2022. Participants completed a survey collecting information on demographics, medical mistrust, history of nonconsensual surgery, and history of postponing healthcare. One hundred nine participants with valid responses to all regression model variables were included in the study. Multivariable logistic regression models controlling for age, race, and income, examined the relationship between nonconsensual surgery and postponing preventive and emergency healthcare. Mediation analyses of cross-sectional data examined whether medical mistrust mediated the relationship between nonconsensual surgery and postponing preventive and emergency healthcare.

RESULTS: Mean medical mistrust score was 2.8 (range = 1-4; standard deviation = 0.8), 49.7% of participants had nonconsensual surgery in their lifetime, 45.9% postponed emergency healthcare, and 61.5% postponed preventive healthcare in their lifetime. Nonconsensual surgery was associated with increased odds of delaying preventive (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.17; confidence interval [CI] = 1.76-9.88; p = .016) and emergency healthcare (AOR = 4.26; CI = 1.71-10.59; p = .002). Medical mistrust mediated the relationship between nonconsensual surgery and delaying preventive (indirect effect = 1.78; CI = 1.16-3.67) and emergency healthcare (indirect effect = 1.66; CI = 1.04-3.30).

CONCLUSIONS: Nonconsensual surgery contributed to healthcare avoidance in this intersex population by increasing medical mistrust. To decrease healthcare avoidance, intersex health promotion interventions should restrict nonconsensual surgery and build trust through trauma-informed care.