Awareness, attitudes and acceptance among undergraduate students at king faisal university regarding intersex surgeries: an online survey

BACKGROUND: Intersex surgery, formerly known as 'sex correction', is a medical procedure that aligns an individual's physical characteristics with their assigned sex at birth. Awareness and attitudes among university students in Saudi Arabia regarding intersex surgeries remain largely unexplored. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among undergraduate students at King Faisal University. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling from various colleges. The self-administered questionnaire included four sections: (1) demographic information, (2) awareness of intersex surgery, (3) knowledge of distinguishing intersex from transgender identity, and (4) attitudes toward individuals who have undergone intersex surgery. The internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.96). RESULTS: A total of 400 students participated in the study, including 270 females (67.5%) and 130 males (32.5%). Of these, 189 (47.4%) demonstrated a high level of understanding of the difference between sex correction and gender transition, and 197 participants (49.3%) showed positive attitudes. Awareness was significantly associated with gender, age group, and college type (p < 0.05). Attitudes were significantly associated with age group (χ² = 8.338, p = 0.015), with participants aged 21-24 years exhibiting the highest percentage of positive attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive educational initiatives to improve awareness and address misconceptions among university students in Saudi Arabia about intersex surgery.