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where none exists. no doubt, the treatment is radical...i think the mistake that most of us are making is that we are imagining it being performed on a normal healthy girl-child. Ashley is anything but that. with the kind of developmental disability she has, the treatment is only going to make a positive difference to Ashley's quality of life, as well as her parents.
It's rather absurd for Dr. Liptak to talk about Ashley's rights for normal development and sexual pleasure, when its pretty clear that Ashley's is not going to develop intellectually from her current state and that her sexual development (in terms of menses etc.) is only going to cause her pain and inconvenience.
since the treatment is so far-reaching in its impact, it was rightly referred to an ethics commitee and they have reached their conclusions. in the interest of Ashley's family, we should refrain from questioning their motives and actions, as they appear to be sincere and have the welfare of their child at heart.
