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[intersex-questions]

hihi!!

what counts as intersex? Is it just genitalia? Also i never knew intersex came in variants 😭 can u give some examples of some intersex variants ?

Thank u for all ur help and this blog 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

This is a super duper long answer! Apologies for that. If you have more questions please ask! I've sorted this by your questions.

CW: Discussion of genitalia, illustrated image of genitalia (at the very end with an additional reminder content warning)

What counts as intersex?

This is a great question! First off, no, it’s NOT just genitalia, although that’s a common misconception!

This is how I personally define intersex:

Intersex- An umbrella term to describe individuals who have sex characteristics naturally found in their body that do not fit the societal standard of a traditional standard of a male or female body. These sex characteristics can include but aren't limited to: abnormal puberty, fertility, genitalia, and/hormonal levels.

It’s important to note that one can only be considered intersex if they were born that way, or, along the way in their life, develop those traits due to their body’s natural processes and NOT from HRT (hormone replacement therapy, like testosterone and estrogen, HRT can cause changes in sex characteristics that cause an individual’s body to no longer fit the societal and traditional standards of what the correct male or female body is like).

InterAct also has a definition I quite like:

"The term intersex is an umbrella term that refers to people who have one or more of a range of variations in sex characteristics that fall outside of traditional conceptions of male or female bodies. For example, intersex people may have variations in their chromosomes, genitals, or internal organs like testes or ovaries. Some intersex characteristics are identified at birth, while other people may not discover they have intersex traits until puberty or later in life." -InterACT

You might be thinking, “what are sex characteristics?” Understanding sex characteristics are very key to understanding what intersex is AND how broad of a spectrum it is.

Sex characteristics can be sorted into primary sex characteristics and secondary sex characteristics. Primary sex characteristics of the genitalia, the part of the body that’s function is for sexual reproduction. Secondary sex characteristics are any other characteristics that are commonly associated with its primary sex and often occur during puberty.

Primary sex characteristics in what is traditionally considered female includes but isn’t limited to:

The vulva

The vagina

The clitoris

The uterus

The inner and outer labia

Secondary sex characteristics in what is traditionally considered female includes but isn’t limited to:

Increased breast tissue after puberty

Increased pubic hair and armpit hair after puberty (traditional standards dictate that this is less than in “males”)

Body composition (increased body fat percentages in areas like the butt and hips after puberty)

Pitch of voice (higher than “males”/becomes shrill after puberty)

Enlargement of uterus and vagina

Narrowing of the shoulders after puberty

Widening of the hips after puberty

Releasing of egg cells (menstruation/periods)

Nearly anything affected within the body whether internally or externally due to a traditional puberty

Primary sex characteristics in what is traditionally considered male includes but isn’t limited to:

The penis

The scrotum

The testis

The prostate gland

Seminal vesicles

Secondary sex characteristics in what is traditionally considered male includes but isn’t limited to:

Lack of breast tissue

Increased pubic, armpit, facial hair, chest hair, and overall body hair (traditional standards dictate that this is more than in “females”)

Body composition (increased muscular tone after puberty)

Pitch of voice (deeper than “females” after puberty)

Enlargement of the penis after puberty

Widening of the shoulders after puberty

Production of sperm cells

Nearly anything affected within the body whether internally or externally due to a traditional puberty

Once you understand primary and secondary sex characteristics, you can begin understand what those are supposed to look like traditionally in any given society for their designated sexes. In the USA at least, it is expected that a vagina be a certain width, that a clitoris is below a certain size and that the penis is above a certain size, and more. A significant number of places and people (not all, and it’s definitely more than it used to be due to Westernization and colonization) in the world use a binary system of male and female with expectations in what each body is supposed to look like, function as, and so on.

What are intersex variants?

Intersex variants are simply any type of variant of being intersex. Intersex variants are also synonymous with intersex conditions. Different intersex people will give you different answers on what classifies as being intersex. This is a point of discussion and argument within the community. Medical professionals also often argue on this, however their opinions are often disregarded by many intersex people as they themselves are not the ones being affected by being intersex, and intersex people have a history of being medically modified without consent by doctors.

I am extremely liberal with what I consider being intersex. I am making this clear to let you know my information will be biased towards a more inclusive stance to what is considered intersex.

An intersex variant is often defined with a specific medical diagnosis or term that describes what it is. However, not all intersex people fit into an easy medical diagnosis or simply cannot be diagnosed as what intersex condition they have. Some people (more conservative on the definition of intersex) often believe you need to have a medical diagnosis to be intersex. Other people (more liberal) often believe you only need to be able to recognize that you fall on the intersex spectrum on your own.

What are some examples of intersex variants?

Probably the easiest to understand intersex variation is ovotestis/true hermaphroditism.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that hermaphrodite, a term used to mean someone who is physically both “male” and “female”, is considered a slur and offensive term towards intersex people. You should not call an intersex person a hermaphrodite. Some intersex people reclaim it for themselves, but don’t call someone that unless they explicitly want to be called that. (Animals who are biologically both “male” and “female” are referred to as hermaphrodites. In this case, it is not offensive. Just remember it IS offensive towards humans.) Intersex is an alternative, non-offensive, more inclusive term than hermaphrodite.

True hermaphroditism is also referred to as ovotesticular syndrome/ovotestis (with a preference on it being called ovotestis). This is what most people imagine when they think of intersex. However, it is not the most common intersex variation and actually one of the rarest. There are also many misconceptions about it. This is when someone is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue. People with this intersex variation/condition might have both functioning testes and ovaries, but not all do. People with this also almost always have some level of both a penis and vagina/vulva. But having this condition is also a spectrum of itself, so not everyone is the same.

(The following is from a very inclusive view of intersex.)

Some VERY common examples of intersex variations are: Clitoromegaly, gynecomastia, and a micropenis.

Clitoromegaly is when one has a clitoris above the size of what is considered socially acceptable. This is often caused by increased testosterone or development within the womb. Some people believe that you must have other symptoms alongside clitoromegaly to be intersex, however I personally believe that any variation, especially in primary sex characteristics, count as intersex. This usually presents itself during puberty, but can be born this way as well. Many people born with clitorises that are seen as “too large” are surgically modified to make them smaller without their consent at birth.

Gynecomastia is the overdevelopment of breast tissue in males past the point what is considered socially acceptable. This isn’t to be confused with fat tissue on the pectorals and not to be confused with muscular development on the pectorals. I think even more people might view this as something that needs other symptoms alongside it to be considered intersex, but I consider it intersex, especially since it is extremely stigmatizing and ostracizing to have and often leads to medical modification to remove breast tissue.

A micropenis is when someone has a penis that is significantly smaller than what is considered the average or socially acceptable size for a penis. There are various medical standards for what a micropenis is. Again, not all would consider this inherently intersex, and I can understand cases where a micropenis wouldn’t be intersex, but in many cases, I am of the opinion that it is an intersex condition. Clitoromegaly and a micropenis are often confused at birth by doctors who decide that if the structure is large enough, it is a penis and the baby is a boy, and if it is small enough, it is a clitoris and it is a girl. Steps are often then taken to reduce the size of the clitoris in this case. A micropenis is often comorbid (occurs along with) gynecomastia.

One of the most common intersex variations/conditions in my opinion is PCOS. Please note there is a large number of people who argue that this isn’t intersex. PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome. Individuals with this have enlarged ovaries that often develop cysts. Symptoms of PCOS can be hyperandrogenism (excess testosterone/more testosterone than socially acceptable), acne, and excess body hair.

(This ends information that is in a more inclusive view of intersex.)

Many intersex conditions/variations are connected to differences in one’s chromosomes. It is socially understood that “males” are born with XY chromosomes and that “females” are born with XX chromosomes.

@intersex-support has a (non-exhaustive) list of intersex variations here.

One thing that also helps understanding intersex overall is you can imagine “biological sex” on a slider almost, from male to female. Once people start to have traits that aren’t enough on one end or the other, they’re considered intersex. The causes for this can be many. This case doesn’t account for as many secondary sex characteristics though, but it does help in understanding genitalia specifically.

Here are two images that I think can help in understanding the spectrum that is intersex. They don’t offer a complete view of the spectrum, but do help.

CW for illustrations of genitalia.

I no longer have credit to the artist or creator of this as it was saved to my computer. If you know the creator, please tell me so I can credit.

End CW

This image/chart is more complicated and still non-exhaustive, but it is fun to look at and explore.

Credit for this image goes here.

Again, sorry for this being so long! And truly, if you have more questions, I'd love to answer.

If anyone sees any errors whether it be typos, grammatical errors, or informational errors, I'll correct them as soon as possible, just point it out.