An intersex variation is an umbrella term used to describe people who have differences in internal reproductive organs, external genitalia, chromosomal, genes or hormonal levels which do not fit or align with how society defines male or female. Intersex variations are congenital and when detected at a young age, the person can receive medical, surgical, or hormonal interventions to reinforce sex assignment or align the physical body to a gender. For some people, life-saving medical interventions are necessary, for example, if a baby is born without the capacity to urinate or if hormone treatment is required. However, some interventions are not necessary for physical functioning and are performed to align the physical body to a gender. Given the invisibility of people with intersex variations within society and research, the Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland study included focussed questions relating to healthcare experiences and mental health wellbeing for this population, the findings of which are presented in this sub report. Findings from the main study can be found elsewhere (Higgins et al. 2024).

The report objectives are as follows:
• Objective 1: To report on the manner intersex participants discovered they were intersex.
• Objective 2: To describe the intersex participants’ experience of medical interventions for their intersex identity.
• Objective 3: To provide a descriptive analysis of the wellbeing and mental health of participants who identify as intersex.
• Objective 4: To report intersex participants’ perspectives on the impact of being intersex on their mental health and wellbeing.
• Objective 5: To report on intersex participants’ perspectives of belonging within the LGBTQI+ community.

P.25 Substance use
Alcohol use No 50.0% 50.0% Suicide attempt Approximately one third never drank alcohol (32.3%, n=10). Around one quarter (25.8%, n=8) reported drinking monthly or less, while a slightly lower proportion reported drinking between 2-4 times a month (22.6%, n=7). Just over one tenth (12.9%, n=4) reported drinking a few times a week and 6.5% (n=2) reported drinking more than 4 times a week. The average AUDIT score was 6.7, with a range of 1-18 (N=20, SD=5.48). In terms of AUDIT categories, 65% (n=13) of those who drank alcohol scored as low risk. Approximately one quarter scored within the moderate category (n=5, 25%), with AUDIT guidelines recommending that, at this level, the best course of treatment by healthcare professionals is to provide advice and information to reduce hazardous drinking behaviour. Two participants had scores indicative of a high-risk level of alcohol consumption, with recommended treatment at this level being brief counselling and continued assessment. None of the participants scored within the very high-risk level category.

Drug use Approximately half of the sample (51.6%, n=16) had taken drugs (other than those required for medical reasons) in their lifetime. Three quarters (n=12, 75%) of those had taken drugs within the last month. Two participants had taken drugs within the last year and two more than one year ago. DAST-10 was administered to those who had taken drugs within the previous year. Of these, nearly half scored as being at low risk (46.2%, n=6), with the suggested action being to monitor and re-assess at a later date. Nearly one quarter (23.1%, n=3) scored at a moderate level, with further investigation recommended at this level. Just under one third (30.8%, n=4) scored at a severe level, with intensive assessment being the recommended course of action at this level. The mean score on the DAST-10 was 4.15 (N=13, SD=3.67).