Do you know intersex’s meaning? This article explores what it means to be intersex, including its relationship with gender identity and sexuality.
-
Kevin
-
January 14, 2022
-
Common Questions
Your writing, at its best
Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant
What Does Intersex Mean?
According to interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, intersex doesn’t refer to one specific trait. It’s an umbrella term that refers to people who have one or more of a range of variations in sex characteristics that do not fit the typical idea of male or female.
For example, an intersex individual may have variations in their chromosomes, genitals, hormones, or internal organs (ex: testes or ovaries). Someone who is intersex may also be referred to as having differences in sex development.
More often than not, intersex characteristics are identified at birth. However, some people may not discover they have intersex traits until later on in life. Those with intersex traits have always existed, but there is much more awareness today about the diversity of human bodies. In fact, according to some estimates, up to 1.7 percent of children are born with intersex traits — this is comparable with the number of people who are born with red hair.
What Does Being Intersex Look Like?
Being intersex might not look like anything at all. As mentioned, intersex is an umbrella term to describe a wide range of natural variations that affect an individual’s chromosomes, genitals, hormones, or reproductive organs. You can observe some of these conditions at birth, some become apparent during puberty, and some you can’t see at all.
When it is obvious that an infant is born in an intersex body, they may have:
- No vaginal opening
- A labia that is closed or otherwise resembles a scrotum
- A scrotum that is empty and/or resembles labia
- A notably larger clitoris
- A notably smaller penis
- A penis without a urethral opening
- Outwardly female or male genitalia but the internal sexual anatomy of the other sex
When an intersex infant is born, the child’s parents and doctors will often “assign” (known as sex assignment) the newborn a sex and raise them according to the gender norms associated with that specific sex.
What Causes a Newborn to Have Intersex Traits?
You may have learned in biology class that we come into the world with sex chromosomes. Females typically have a pair of X chromosomes (XX chromosomes), whereas males tend to have one X and one Y chromosome (XY chromosomes).
But were you aware that there are many other variations? For example:
- XXY (Klinefelter syndrome)
- XYY syndrome (aka Jacob’s syndrome)
- Turner syndrome
These common variations can happen randomly and spontaneously during conception. Sometimes it’s due to sperm cells, while other times, it’s due to egg cells. These chromosomal variations sometimes result in what might be labeled as intersex.
More often than not, however, an infant born with intersex traits does fit into either the XX or XY category. Thanks to years of research, we now know that biological sex is much more complex than just our chromosomes.
What Are Non-Consensual Intersex Surgeries?
For many years, babies born with atypical sex characteristics have been viewed as having bodies that need to be “fixed.” However, being born intersex is a healthy and naturally occurring variation in humans.
In other words, there is nothing medically wrong with being born intersex — it is not a “condition” that needs to be resolved. Therefore, medical interventions are truly not necessary.
Despite this, non-consensual surgeries performed on intersex children are one of the biggest issues facing the intersex community. These are non-lifesaving procedures intended to change reproductive anatomy and external genital appearance to fit arbitrary typical binary notions.
These surgeries may include:
- The alteration or creation of a vagina (vaginoplasty)
- The repositioning or reduction of a clitoris (clitoroplasty, or clitoral reduction or recession)
- The removal of certain organs that would make certain sex hormones (gonadectomy)
- The repositioning of an already perfectly functioning urethra (hypospadias surgery)
Unfortunately, most intersex surgeries are performed on children under the age of two, robbing them of the chance to make important choices about their bodies. This can leave intersex people with serious lifelong emotional and physical consequences that can affect sexual function, fertility, well-being, and more.
Compelling children to such harmful and invasive surgeries — for which they are too young to give their consent — purely for aesthetic purposes would be viewed as human rights violations or even abuse in many other circumstances. The continued practice of these non-consensual surgeries has become central to the fight for intersex equality.
Are Intersex People Part of the LGBTQ+ Community?
Those who are intersex often have similar experiences to those in the LGBTQ+ community and confront many of the same challenges. In fact, some intersex people may also identify as LGBTQ+. Homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, and outdated gender norms underlie many of the issues intersex people face on a daily basis.
In recognition of these shared experiences, many people in advocacy groups use the phrase “LGBTI+” which is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex.
Additionally, to recognize the voices and human rights of intersex people around the globe, October 26th is recognized as Intersex Awareness Day.
What Does Sexuality Mean?
Simply put, sexuality refers to an individual’s sexual feelings, thoughts, and behaviors toward others. There are many types of sexualities, such as heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and pansexual, among others. However, some people may prefer not to use any labels to describe their sexuality or consider themselves sexually fluid.
Despite what some people may think, sexuality is independent of a person’s physical anatomy or gender identity. Just as there is no correlation between sexuality and gender identity among those who are not intersex, research involving intersex people shows the same.
At the end of the day, it’s important to understand that a person is much more than just their chromosome patterns. In other words, chromosomal makeup does not have to define an individual’s gender identity!
Support those who are intersex and encourage them to follow the beat of their own drum.
Sources:
- Intersex Definitions | interACT
- Differences in sex development | NHS
- Its Intersex Awareness Day – here are 5 myths we need to shatter | Amnesty International
- What does it mean to be intersex? | ShareAmerica
- Gender identity and sexuality in an online sample of intersex-identified individuals: a descriptive study | Psychology & Sexuality: Vol 12, No 3
