Is it healthy to be intersex?

Intersex people are born with biological sex characteristics—such as genitals, reproductive organs or chromosomes—that do not fit medical norms for female or male bodies. There are many different intersex variations, and many kinds of intersex body. Most people with intersex bodies are completely healthy.

What does being intersex look like?

a penis that’s smaller than expected. no vaginal opening. a penis without a urethra opening at the tip (the opening might instead be on the underside) labia that are closed or otherwise resemble a scrotum.

Are intersex surgeries necessary?

The Intersex Society of North America—a well regarded and effective patient support group—recommends that no surgery should be performed unless absolutely necessary for the physical health and comfort of an intersexual child.

Can intersex live without surgery?

In rare cases, intersex babies need emergency surgery when they are born — for example, if they are unable to urinate properly. But in the vast majority of cases, the operations are done to prevent a child from suffering presumed psychological distress later in life, experts said.

Can an intersex man get pregnant?

So if there is a fully functioning uterus and ovaries, then it’s theoretically possible to get pregnant and have a baby. However, most if not all true intersex persons have incomplete reproductive organs and a pregnancy would be rare.

What is intersex and what does it mean?

Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside.

What should I do if I think I might be intersex?

By the way, because some forms of intersex signal underlying metabolic concerns, a person who thinks she or he might be intersex should seek a diagnosis and find out if she or he needs professional healthcare. If you’re curious about how common intersex conditions are, go to the FAQ called How common is intersex?

Is intersex real or constructed?

Intersex is a socially constructed category that reflects real biological variation. To better explain this, we can liken the sex spectrum to the color spectrum. There’s no question that in nature there are different wavelengths that translate into colors most of us see as red, blue, orange, yellow.

Is intersex an inborn condition?

Though we speak of intersex as an inborn condition, intersex anatomy doesn’t always show up at birth. Sometimes a person isn’t found to have intersex anatomy until she or he reaches the age of puberty, or finds himself an infertile adult, or dies of old age and is autopsied.