About us – The Infointersex project
Infointersex is a website dedicated to the wellbeing and health of intersex people. It is a collaboration between the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) - Italian National Institute of Health and the Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali (UNAR), National Office against Racial Discrimination of the Prime Minister's Office. Originating from a protocol of agreement on the fight against social and health inequalities, Infointersex provides independent, certified, up-to-date, user-friendly health and legal information, the lack of which is one of the major impediments for the intersex population to accessing health services. The information is addressed firstly to intersex people and their families, but also to institutions, health professionals, employers, trade union representatives, and in general, to everyone interested in the subject.
This website is the result of the collaboration between the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) - Italian National Institute of Health and the Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali (UNAR) - National Office Against Racial Discrimination at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
ISS
The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) is the major Italian Center for research, monitoring and technical-scientific consulting on the topic of public health. The ISS activities are entrusted to Departments, National Centers, Referral Centers, Technical-scientific Services, and a Notified Body for the assessment of medical device conformity.
The ISS facilities collaborate with the ministerial Department of Health, Regional Boards and the whole National Health System to steer health policies on the basis of scientific evidence.
The ISS covers all health topics, from disease control and health promotion to fight against cancer, chronic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, including autism issues, rare diseases, infectious diseases and addictions.
Among other ISS facilities, the Reference Center for Gender Medicine takes care of assessing how gender impacts health conditions. Indeed, the incidence, symptoms, and seriousness of many diseases are influenced by gender differences, and so are the response to therapies and adverse drug reactions, lifestyles, and the response to nutrients. In line with its goals, this Center addresses the health and well-being of intersex people by promoting research, education, and communication activities in close collaboration with other Institutions, clinical and research centers, and intersex associations.
Infointersex is part of a project aimed at the full social inclusion of intersex people. The Scientific Director and the Coordination Committee manage this site in collaboration with Dr. Elena Ortona, head of the Reference Center for Gender Medicine.
UNAR
One of the main goals of European integration is the efficacy of the principle of Non-Discrimination, a prerequisite for the principle of equality on any ground such as gender, birth, origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. The European legislation has recently enlarged and strengthened the non-discrimination domain by construction of an organic system of laws aimed at the recognition and safeguard of the right to equal treatment.
In this legal context, the Council of the European Union has issued Directive 2000/43/CE, which establishes an institutional body in each member State to enforce equality of treatment. This EU Directive has been transposed into Italian law by Legislative Decree 215/2003, which has instituted an Office for equal treatment and non-discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity (Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali, UNAR) at the Department for Equal Opportunities (Presidency of the Council of Ministers) in order to monitor and guarantee equality of treatment, and prevent racial and ethnical discrimination.
In compliance with ministerial directives, UNAR has been constantly strengthening its action of prevention of discrimination on any base such as personal and religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, in any public and private sector of society such as employment, health assistance, education, product and service accessibility, social protection.
Scientific Director
Marina Pierdominici
Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Scientific Co-Director
Matteo Marconi
Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Coordinating Committee
Matteo Marconi, Angela Ruocco
Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Editorial Committee
Giorgio Malorni
Bewweb Srl
Maria Teresa Pagano
Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Teresa Angotti
Andrology, Female Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit AOU Careggi, Florence
Technical secretariat
Anna Ferrigno
Technical-Scientific Service — Large Instruments and Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Authors
Carlotta Cocchetti, Andrology, Female Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit AOU Careggi, Florence
Laura Cocchi, UO Gynecology and Reproductive Pathophysiology, University of Bologna, AOU S. Orsola Malpighi, Bologna
Alessandra D. Fisher, Andrology, Female Endocrinology, and Gender Incongruence Unit AOU Careggi, Florence
Anna Lorenzetti, Department of Law, University of Bergamo, Bergamo
Catalina Andra Manta, UO Gynecology and Reproductive Pathophysiology, University of Bologna, AOU S. Orsola Malpighi, Bologna
Lorenzo Masieri, Department of Pediatric Urology, Meyer Children Hospital, University of Florence, Florence
Francesca Mazzoli, Andrology, Female Endocrinology, and Gender Incongruence Unit AOU Careggi, Florence
Maria Cristina Meriggiola, UO Gynecology and Reproductive Pathophysiology, University of Bologna, AOU S. Orsola Malpighi, Bologna
Jiska Ristori, Center for Andrology, Female Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence AOU Careggi, Florence
Alessia Romani, Center for Andrology, Female Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence AOU Careggi, Florence
Angela Ruocco, Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome
