The term Intersex is traditionally used to describe the sex of individuals whose anatomy does not fit within the typical definitions of male or female. The word is often associated with people who have a condition called Klinefelter syndrome, where they are born with an extra X chromosome. However, this isn’t always the case and there can be many variations in how someone’s body develops both physically and sexually.
Intersex individuals often experience discrimination because they don’t conform to gender norms associated with their assigned sex at birth. They may face challenges accessing education and employment opportunities due to their unclear legal status and lack of protections under federal law.
Signs that someone might be intersex
- People who are intersex may have both male and female genitalia
- Intersex people often experience sexual ambiguity in their lives as they grow up
- Intersex people can be born with either XX or XY chromosomes, which is why it’s important to ask them what sex they identify with before assuming anything about their gender identity
- A person might be intersex if they’re assigned a different sex at birth than the one that feels most comfortable to them
- An individual might also be considered intersex if they don’t have any external genitalia at all (known as agenesis)
- Some other signs of someone being intersex include an unusually small penis or clitoris, a lack of menstruation, and infertility problems
