Intersexed Individuals

This entry provides a general overview of intersexed individuals and intersexuality (or intersex, formerly referred to as hermaphroditism). Intersexuality describes a wide range of conditions in which individuals' primary sex characteristics, secondary sex characteristics, and/or chromosomal makeup do not match in expected ways. Intersexuality can be caused by a wide variety of factors including abnormal prenatal developmental and chromosomal anomalies (e.g., XXY or XXX). There is considerable diversity in how it is evaluated and treated. Central to this diversity of response are foundational arguments and assumptions about the relationship between gender (femininity/masculinity) and sex (female/male), as well as whether nature (e.g., chromosomes and hormones) or nurture (e.g., socialization processes) determine gender identity. Many medical professionals adhere to a concealment-centered approach of treating intersexuality, whereas intersex advocates adhere to a patient-centered model.