Intersex is a general term used to describe anyone with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't align with the traditional definitions of "male" or "female." The term "intersex" is not related to a person's gender (how they see themselves in relation to the society's definition of "male" or "female") but rather to the sexual characteristics a person is born with. [...] Intersex is neither a type of sexual orientation nor a medical problem. It is a naturally occurring variation that may or may not be apparent and may or may not pose any health concerns. Continue reading from Verywell Health
There are many different ways someone can be intersex. Some intersex people have genitals or internal sex organs that fall outside the male/female categories — such as a person with both ovarian and testicular tissues. Other intersex people have combinations of chromosomes that are different than XY ( usually associated with male) and XX (usually associated with female), like XXY. And some people are born with external genitals that fall into the typical male/female categories, but their internal organs or hormones don’t.
If a person’s genitals look different from what doctors and nurses expect when they’re born, someone might be identified as intersex from birth. Other times, someone might not know they’re intersex until later in life, like when they go through puberty. Sometimes a person can live their whole life without ever discovering that they’re intersex. Continue reading from Planned Parenthood
There have historically been social and cultural consequences to being an intersex person. In the past, many such individuals were referred to as "hermaphrodites" or "eunuchs" and subject to scorn, abuse, discrimination, and physical harm. Even in medicine, intersex variations are often referred to as disorders of sexual development (DSDs), suggesting that they are problems meant to be corrected. It is for these reasons that the "I" in "LGBTI" references intersex people even though being intersex is not a sexual orientation. As with other groups that fall under the LGBTI umbrella, intersex people are largely marginalized and subject to stigmatization. Continue reading from Verywell Health
