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In Kaoma District, Western Province, Memory Sitali spends long hours traveling dusty roads to reach the nearest clinic for her child’s medical needs. Her child, born with variations in sex characteristics, is intersex.
Sitali said the journey was not just physical because since her child’s birth, she has faced stigma, confusion from health workers, and silence from extended family members who do not understand the child’s condition.
She told Zambia Monitor in an exclusive interview that access to health services remains a major challenge for intersex persons across Zambia, with rural areas like Kaoma bearing the heaviest burden due to distance and limited specialist care.
Community health workers in Kaoma report they have little training on intersex variations, often referring patients to Lusaka or Livingstone for basic consultations.
“Access to health services is a major challenge for intersex persons, and for mothers like me in Kaoma it means traveling far, spending money we do not have, and facing judgment from community members,” Sitali said.
She explained that her child has needed regular check-ups and hormone monitoring, but the district hospital lacks equipment and staff trained to provide respectful, informed care, resulting in her seeking medical help at the University Teaching Hospital.
Sitali said medical staff sometimes ask invasive questions or suggest unnecessary procedures without explaining options, leaving her afraid and uncertain.
She adds that the financial strain was made worse by lack of family support. Her husband left her after discovering the child was intersex and relatives have distanced themselves, believing the child’s condition was a curse or shame.
“Family support is almost non-existent. My own husband left me a long time ago and my relatives stopped visiting after they learned about my child’s condition. I am raising this child alone, while also fighting for her to get treatment,” Sitali said.
Without relatives to help with transport or childcare, Sitali often misses clinic appointments and delays have led to gaps in monitoring her child’s health and development.
She emphasized that healthcare should be about dignity and informed choice for every patient, urging doctors and nurses to learn more about intersex variations before giving advice.
Sitali also wants the government to establish confidential clinics and hotlines so rural families can access information without fear of gossip in small communities.
As Zambia moves toward universal health coverage, Sitali’s story highlights a gap that activists say must be closed: ensuring intersex persons and their caregivers are not left behind due to distance, stigma, or lack of knowledge.
Intersex rights groups such as Trans Bantu Association of Zambia (TBZ) say stories like Sitali’s are common in rural Zambia, where cultural myths and poor medical training combine to isolate families.
Health advocates are calling on the Ministry of Health to develop inclusive guidelines and train rural health workers to provide non-discriminatory, patient-centered care.
The World Health Organization warns that unnecessary medical interventions on intersex infants and children can cause physical and psychological harm when done without consent or medical necessity.
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