There’s no question that in nature there are different wavelengths that translate into colors most of us see as red, blue, orange, yellow. To better explain this, we can liken the sex spectrum to the color spectrum. What does this mean? Intersex is a socially constructed category that reflects real biological variation. That’s not surprising, because intersex isn’t a discreet or natural category. Which variations of sexual anatomy count as intersex? In practice, different people have different answers to that question. Some people live and die with intersex anatomy without anyone (including themselves) ever knowing. Sometimes a person isn’t found to have intersex anatomy until she or he reaches the age of puberty, or finds himself an infertile adult, or dies of old age and is autopsied. Though we speak of intersex as an inborn condition, intersex anatomy doesn’t always show up at birth. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types-for example, a girl may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like labia. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. What's the history behind the intersex rights movement?.Who was David Reimer (also, sadly, known as John/Joan)?.What do intersex and the same-sex marriage debate have to do with each other?.Are there medical risks associated with intersex conditions?.
Does ISNA advocate doing nothing when a child is born with intersex?.What evidence is there that you can grow up psychologically healthy with intersex genitals (without normalizing surgeries)?.How can you assign a gender (boy or girl) without surgery?.Why Doesn't ISNA Want to Eradicate Gender?.What's the difference between being transgender or transsexual and having an intersex condition?.What is the current policy of the American Academy of Pediatrics on surgery?.Is intersex the same as ambiguous genitalia?.Does having a Y chromosome make someone a man?.Is a person who is intersex a hermaphrodite?.How come many people have never heard of intersex?.Questions about Intersex Society of North America.What do doctors do now when they encounter a patient with intersex?.What's wrong with the way intersex has traditionally been treated?.Does ISNA think children with intersex should be raised without a gender, or in a third gender?.What does ISNA recommend for children with intersex?.