As a doctor, I know the damage I-638 would do to girls’ sports | Opinion

I-638 is an initiative that would require all elementary, middle and high school girls to be medically sex certified just to play with their friends on an after-school team. There are only three ways to be in compliance as a physician with this initiative: conduct an intrusive examination of girls’ “reproductive organs,” or conduct costly genetic or hormone testing. Nowhere in this initiative does it say parents can use their child’s birth certificate to verify a girl’s sex.

It’s important to note that this poorly written initiative exempts boys from this new requirement.

Many parents will have to rely on a stranger to certify their daughter’s sex because more than 175,000 school-age girls in Washington do not have access to a regular doctor, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health. In addition, genetic and hormone testing may cost families hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket. Even for the families lucky enough to have medical insurance, these uncommon lab tests may not be reliably covered.

Forced examinations of girl’s genitalia would discourage many girls from even trying to play school sports. Physical exams of girls’ reproductive organs may require pelvic exams, which are not only medically unnecessary for sports, they can emotionally and physically harm young girls. All parents of girls can understand how this could have a harmful impact on young girls and women. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says there is no medical reason for a pelvic exam for girls younger than 21 unless the patient has other health concerns. Beyond genital examinations before school age, most doctors only examine the genitalia of children if there are developmental problems or concerns for abuse.