The handbook in front of you was created by the joint efforts and work of authors from BiH, Serbia and Croatia and deals with three aspects of the position and treatment of intersex persons:

1) conceptual and activist aspect of human rights and ethical and inclusive health care (authors: Erin Vlahović, Kristian Randjelović and Milica Sekulović);
2) medical aspect of treatment of intersex persons and principles of good clinical practice (authors: Vladimir Kojović, Ana Radenković and Marko Marjanović);
3) legal and medical regulation of intersex in Bosnia and Herzegovina (author: Vanja Burić).

The aim of the handbook is to educate medical and healthcare professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina on adequate, ethical and inclusive treatment of intersex persons.

Also, the handbook is a step in which we want to continue advocating for the right of parents to transparent and accessible information on procedures and medical treatments when they have an intersex baby, as well as to ban medically unnecessary surgical procedures (so-called medical gender normalization treatments) in health care facilities, that are conducted on intersex persons without their full and informed consent.

We hope that this handbook will open the door to sensitization and education of medical professionals, health professionals, as well as the wider professional and interested public in BiH, but also in the region, on intersex identities/conditions, needs and problems of intersex persons/children, ethical and inclusive practices in provision of health care, ie that it will improve the quality of life and human rights of intersex persons.

We want this project, especially the handbook, to open the door to informed cooperation with leading healthcare institutions – clinical centers, hospitals and their experts, to share information and raise awareness about the problems of intersex persons, as well as to contribute to the revision of outdated medical classifications.

Authors: Erin Vlahović, Kristian Ranđelović, Milica Sekulović, Vladimir Kojović, Ana Radenković, Marko Marjanović, Vanja Burić
Editor: Delila Hasanbegović

Published by: Sarajevo Open Centre, 2020.

You can download the handbook here.

For more information on the research, campaign, handbook and the entire project to improve the rights of intersex persons in BiH, you can contact the programme coordinator Delila Hasanbegović via email [email protected].

The publication of this handbook, through institutional support to the Sarajevo Open Centre, was supported by Sweden through a development cooperation program.