Do you have an Intersex condition?

[battybattybats]

By some estimates 1 in 60 people are born with some combination of male and female anatomy and/or chromasomes.

Some are surgicly altered at birth to 'normalise' them. Which can cause lifelong complications and, if the guessed gender doesn't suit then the person will often end up transgender whether they know they were born intersex or not.

IS definately doesn't explain the majority of CDs and TSs, but still a significant minority of CDs and TSs armay well be IS.

So, are you intersex? Do you know someone who is?

[Violet]

I am not, and, to the best of my knowledge, do not know anyone who is.

My mom, however, told me about a program she saw on this once. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember much about the program she saw this on, nor does she remember the specifics. What she does remember, though, is that because this was an island nation, and it had a somewhat limited genetic pool, there was (still is?) a high percentage of intersex births. Apparently, the kids are raised as whichever sex (I think) they seem most like, but when they hit puberty, they sometimes switch to the opposite and/or they stay/present as whichever gender they feel most like. It's seen as totally normal there, because it happens more often than it does in, say, Iowa. (Also, I'm not trying to say I, myself, think this is abnormal, just that society in general hasn't come quite as far and/or sees it as "weird" or "strange.")

I really wish my mom remembered more about this, because I'd really like to try to find the program, or at least learn a little more about the island and it's people. I don't generally bring it up, either, because it's not overly scientific to say, "Well, my mom saw this program and this is what she says happened, but she can't remember everything."

[JoAnne Wheeler]

I don't really know and really don't care --- all I know is that I love being who I am -- I'm a crossdresser and proud of it
JoAnne Wheeler

[Violet]

Ooh, also, do any of y'all watch "House"? There was an episode with this girl who was a model and it took them ages and ages to figure out what was wrong with her (I've a mind like a sieve, I'm sorry, I don't even remember what the symptoms were or what the condition wound up being). Anyway, it turned out that she was intersex and even though she looked like a girl, genetically she was male, and that was the root cause of what was wrong.

Gah. I wish I remembered this better. I'm famous for this, btw. Knowing or remembering just enough about something that I feel compelled to share in the discussion, but not knowing or remembering enough to actually contribute something helpful.

[docrobbysherry]

I don't think I am, but I don't know!

How would anyone know? Wouldn't that require a specific DNA test?

[Kelli Michelle]

My friend has Ovatestis. Funny enough I have known her for a few months but she just explained this to us recently. This is a synopsis:

Ovotestis refers to the histology of a gonad that contains both ovarian follicles and testicular tubular elements. Such gonads are found exclusively in people with true hermaphroditism. The diagnosis of true hermaphroditism is based solely on the presence of ovarian and testicular tissue in the gonad and not on the characteristics of the internal and external genitalia, even if ambiguous. Ovotestes are usually compartmentalized, with connective tissue separating the ovarian components from the testicular components. However, on rare occasions, an intermixture of these elements may occur.

She is a pre-op TS.

[JenniferR771]

I met a woman (or man) at a transgender support group meeting. This person claimed to be intersex and claimed to be a genetic chimera. (Which, I think, is a person with different genetics in different parts of the body).

A link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_(genetics)

[Persephone]

My mom, however, told me about a program she saw on this once. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember much about the program she saw this on, nor does she remember the specifics. What she does remember, though, is that because this was an island nation, and it had a somewhat limited genetic pool, there was (still is?) a high percentage of intersex births.

It probably isn't what you're looking for, but on the northeast penninsula of the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides there are a high percentage of intersexed pigs. Dr. John R. Baker wrote an article about it in the 1920's.

[Persephone]

Things are not always clear-cut in the genetic world. Some of your genetic material can actually change over time. For example, there can be a fairly common age-related loss of the Y chromosome.

As part of something else a year or two ago my physician ordered a chromosome analysis of me and we found that about 15% of my cells now lack a Y (male) chromosome.

I find it interesting since "male" cells normally contain two chromosomes, one X and one Y, and "female" cells normally contain two X chromosomes, doesn't this new finding mean that I am now 65% female?

I wonder if that would work legally. Anyone know?

[mylitta]

I have taught two children that I know of, who were born intersexed. There were probably more, but obviously it's not necessarily something parents tell teachers about. I did some reading about it and apparently there was a tendency to perform surgery to give the child a female anatomy because it's easier, which in the past caused a lot of problems as the children grew up. The children I taught were primary age (under 11), and I often wnder how they fared as they hit puberty.

[Kate Simmons]

Not according to the definition but for the majority it is due to the essense of who they are and this cannot be determined empirically.

[Nigella]

Might be a bit late but right now (9pm UK time) on Virgin 1 or at 10pm on Virgin 1+ is a programme called

"Which Sex Am I"

Will record for anyone who wants copy

[SweetCaroline]

Not myself, but I do have a friend in one of my SISTERS groups who is, tho I'm not sure of her exact condition. She identifies primarily as female, tho also presents as male and has a trans-woman wife. She's is also an intersex speaker, and does a lot of educational talks around local schools. So can say I know at least one person who is intersexed.

[Shaquani]

Why limit the definition of the Intersex condition to anatomy and/or chromosomes? Why not include other biological "anomalies" like ambiguous male/female brain wiring patterns or indeterminate neurological responses. I'd like to believe that my own CD tendencies may be related to a significant proportion of my synapses resonating with some female energy. Which to me is a nice way of describing the biological equivalent of "the Goddess within". So I guess my brain is intersexed. And I know a lot of other people who may be similarly diagnosed.

[Gabrielle Hermosa]

I've heard of this, even watched documentaries that covered it.

I was born 100% male without the need for any surgical alterations one way or another. I've never met anyone who was born like this, or at least not anyone who cared to share with me.

[docrobbysherry]

Things are not always clear-cut in the genetic world. Some of your genetic material can actually change over time. For example, there can be a fairly common age-related loss of the Y chromosome.

As part of something else a year or two ago my physician ordered a chromosome analysis of me and we found that about 15% of my cells now lack a Y (male) chromosome.

I find it interesting since "male" cells normally contain two chromosomes, one X and one Y, and "female" cells normally contain two X chromosomes, doesn't this new finding mean that I am now 65% female?

I wonder if that would work legally. Anyone know?

I found your POST very interesting! But, your MATH, very questionable!

[VeronicaMoonlit]

Yes, I do have an intersex condition but I identify as Transgendered and not Intersexed and stay far far away from the IS community on the internet. They are very suspicious of transfolk who claim IS conditions, with good reason.

Veronica
Rondelle (Ron) Rogers Jr.

[battybattybats]

Yes, I do have an intersex condition but I identify as Transgendered and not Intersexed and stay far far away from the IS community on the internet. They are very suspicious of transfolk who claim IS conditions, with good reason.

I think there is all too much hostility between some Intersex and some transsexual groups.

Mostly because of bias against one another and the assumption that each must be dealt with seperately to get fair treatment. But as most issues are shared we can be good allies and support one anothers issues.

[Tasha T]

I used to have a girlfriend that was born intersexed. She had surgery to remove any trace of maleness from her and added ample everything in the female department. She was the most feminine and beautiful looking women I've ever laid eyes on. And she smelled good too! Ah, the memories.

[ElaineB]

I find it interesting since "male" cells normally contain two chromosomes, one X and one Y, and "female" cells normally contain two X chromosomes, doesn't this new finding mean that I am now 65% female?

No. The Y chromosome is a "dud" which does nothing normally anyway. This is why men get "sex-linked traits" like colorblindness which women do not; they have redundancy in that one set of genes where we are fully exposed to any recessive genes that might be on our one X chromosome.

[Persephone]

No. The Y chromosome is a "dud" which does nothing normally anyway. This is why men get "sex-linked traits" like colorblindness which women do not; they have redundancy in that one set of genes where we are fully exposed to any recessive genes that might be on our one X chromosome.

The "Y" chromosome may not impress us much, but it isn't a complete "dud." It does carry a good bit of genetic information.

People whose cells are all or mostly XO (with only an X chromosome) are generally infertile females with "Turner's Syndrome.

If what you are suggesting was true, wouldn't they just be "normal" males?