What Is Intersexuality? Definition, Causes And Types
Until a few years ago, intersexuality was considered a disorder, that is, the fact of having sexual characteristics intermediate between those that are typical in men and those that are typical in women.
Nowadays The conception of what intersexuality is is changing as knowledge of human biology expands and awareness of sex and gender diversity increases.
The term “intersexuality” refers to a series of variations in sexual organs and characteristics, both at an anatomical and genetic level, that cause the person to have feminine and masculine characteristics simultaneously. These variations may affect chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, and/or secondary sexual traitssuch as the distribution of muscles and fat.
The result of the variations that produce intersexuality is the ambiguity of sexual anatomy or the discrepancy between genotype and phenotype. In summary, we can say that intersex people are those who are born without all the typically feminine or masculine physical traits. Furthermore, since this does not have to manifest itself externally but can also occur only in the genes, Not all intersex people know they are intersex..
From the biological sciences, intersexuality is currently conceived as a set of disorders or variations in sexual development. The second conception, which is less stigmatizing for intersex people, is becoming more and more widespread.
Although in many cases it has been medicalized, the truth is that intersexuality is not usually a danger to survival, although in some cases it does carry a risk of pain and infertility and can cause discomfort regarding sexual identity.
Previously Intersex people were known as “hermaphrodites” but today this term is considered derogatory: hermaphroditism consists of the simultaneous presence of male and female reproductive organs that occurs in some species of animals and plants.
In ancient and medieval Europe People who had ambiguous sexual characteristics were considered hermaphrodites. The law of these societies stated that they should be considered men or women depending on the predominant external features. To a large extent, this conception has been maintained to the present day.
During the 20th century the term “intersexuality”, coined by the geneticist Richard Golschmidt in 1917, replaced “hermaphroditism” in this type of cases. Medical advances during the last century have allowed surgical and hormonal interventions will become popular to alter the anatomy of intersex people so that their bodies were more similar to the prototype of a male or female.
However, the dubious effectiveness and risks of these treatments, which are usually practiced non-consensually on minors, have contributed to the emergence of movements that defend the rights of intersex people.
Causes and types of intersexuality
There are many possible causes of intersexuality that cause different variations in genotype and phenotype. These causes can be divided into four main categories based on their most defining characteristics.
1. Intersexuality 46, XX (with virilization)
In these cases, the person’s chromosomes correspond to those that are typical in women, but their external genitalia are typical of a man. Although in intersexuality 46, XX the person has a uterus exposure to high levels of male hormones during fetal development, produced by several possible causes, cause the clitoris and vaginal lips to develop like a penis.
The most common cause of this type of intersexuality is congenital adrenal hyperplasia consisting of defects in the adrenal glands that cause excessive secretion of androgens, as well as a deficiency of cortisol and other hormones. This alteration can influence menstruation and hair growth, but in severe cases it can also affect heart rate or blood levels of sodium and potassium.
The presence of ovarian tumors and the consumption of male hormones during pregnancy by the mother can also cause intersexuality with virilization.
2. Intersexuality 46, XY (with subvirilization)
46, XY intersexuality consists of the presence of male chromosomes and female or ambiguous external genitalia. In this type of intersexuality, the normal development of the male phenotype from the inhibition of female characteristics is not completed.
The most common cause of intersexuality with subvirilization is androgen insensitivity syndrome ; In these cases the organism is resistant to male hormones, necessary for the development of the gonads and the rest of the male’s sexual characteristics.
Malformations in the testicles and deficient testosterone production are also frequent causes of 46, XY intersexuality.
3. True gonadal intersexuality
This type of intersexuality occurs when the person has simultaneously ovaries and testes whether complete or incomplete. These variations were formerly known as “true hermaphroditism”, compared to the terms “female pseudohermaphroditism” and “male pseudohermaphroditism” that were used for XX and XY intersexuality, respectively.
In true gonadal intersexuality the external genitalia can be male, female or intermediate, and chromosomes XX, XY or both can be present at the same time. The cause of these variations is unknown.
We speak of complex or indeterminate intersexuality when sexual development is altered. without incongruence between genotype and phenotype. Among other aspects, sex hormones or the number of chromosomes may be affected.
For example, cases in which there are two X chromosomes (47, XXY or 47, XXX) and in which there is only one X chromosome (45, XO) would be included in this category.
