Inter/Act has been working with MTVâs Faking It on building a (more) true-to-life intersex character, Lauren (played by Bailey Buntain DeYoung). We anticipated a few new people to our page, wondering what exactly intersex is. The following intersex FAQ was compiled by the members of Inter/Act. It is intended to be a living document that we will continue to tweak, change, add-to and subtract from. Please feel free to reference it, re-blog it, and ask us questions (at [email protected])
Intersex is an umbrella term describing people born with one of over 30 variations of sex anatomy resulting in neither purely male or female bodies (internal/and or external). Weâre usually taught that sex is merely black and white, âmaleâ or âfemale,â but thatâs simply not true. There are a lot of awesome gray areas in the middle that could make someone intersex!
What are some intersex conditions?
There are over many conditions that fall under the intersex umbrella including, but not limited to: Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Klinefelter Syndrome, Hypospadias, Mayer-Rokitansky-KĂźster-Hauser Syndrome (MRKH), Swyer Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, 5-Alpha Reductase Deficiency. Please see the ISNA (Intersex Society of North America) website for more information on specific conditions.
How common are intersex people?
Intersex people are roughly 1 in every 2,000 people. Thatâs as common as natural born redheads! Well not as common as redheads, but pretty close. Weâre not rare, just invisible.
So how come Iâve never heard of intersex before?
The intersex community has a long history of shame and secrecy, for so many reasons. For starters, many doctors have told patients that theyâll never meet anyone like themselves. Sometimes theyâll even tell them not to talk about their conditions to anyone! On top of that, doctors and parents often try to âfixâ intersex kidâs bodies with unnecessary surgeries, trying to make them fit into their idea of ânormal.â Not to mention each condition is different, so educating the general public is hard when there is so much information to talk about.
It sounds like intersex conditions can be hard to care for!
They can be. Finding a good doctor that you can really connect with is so important for intersex people. Sometimes doctors donât know the best way to handle each specific person. We all need to be informed about our bodies, our options, and the research thatâs been done so we can make the best decisions possible. Making an informed decision is the most important thing an intersex person can do, so please donât rush into anything.
How does gender fit into intersex?
Not quite as simply as you might think! Intersex relates to biological sex and a personâs genetic traits, internal and external reproductive organs, hormones, and secondary sex characteristics. Gender is more about the way somebody feels or identifies. This means intersex individuals identify as female, male, man, woman, or a multitude of identities just as non-intersex individuals do. Some examples include genderqueer, agender, third gender, two-spirit, intergender, and the list doesnât end there.  Itâs important to remember that gender is fluid, not stagnant, possibly alternating its course during a personâs journey
How does intersex differ from transgender?
Intersex is often confused with transgender, but they are actually very different things. Intersex is when your biological sex doesnât neatly fit into the male/female binary, but transgender is when you feel as if your assigned sex does not match your gender identity. Someone can be both intersex and transgender!
What terms can I use to talk about intersex people?
Intersex and DSD (difference of sex development) are the two current terms that most people use interchangeably. However, they both are controversial for different people. Â Some of our youth feel more comfortable with DSD as it might be the only term they are familiar with, while others prefer intersex over DSD. All intersex folks have the right to self define themselves at any particular point in their journey. Itâs better for people to come to their own conclusions about how they want to identify, rather than be told or pushed into identifying a certain way. If you donât know how someone identifies, feel free to ask!
Can I use the word hermaphrodite?
No. Hermaphrodite is a harmful term that is widely considered a slur, please donât use it. Itâs a stigmatizing word that people associate with having both sets of working genetalia, which is rarely possible in humans, if at all. Some intersex folk have started reclaiming the term, but that is for them to decide and use, not for you.
What are some other terms I should know?
Ambiguous Genitalia - Genitalia that doesnât look clearly âmaleâ or âfemale.â However, no genitals look the same, and nobodyâs genitalia is âambiguous.â Itâs all just genitals!
Dyadic - Some intersex people have started using dyadic to describe those who are not intersex (meaning, they fit the âmaleâ or âfemaleâ binary)
Cisgender- When a personâs gender identity matches their assigned sex. For example, a person assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman is considered cisgender. This term can get confusing with intersex individuals - some use it, some donât.
HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Â - This is an important tool in an intersex personâs tool box. HRT ensures that an intersex personâs physical and emotional health needs are properly maintained. If someoneâs hormone needs (for things like development, body regulation, or bone growth) arenât being met, they may go on HRT to figure out the best hormone levels for their bodies.
Informed Consent - This term gets thrown a lot, especially when talking about surgeries of intersex people. Basically, it means that nobody should be operated on without their full knowledge of circumstances, repercussions, reasoning, etc. For example, babies and children are too young to fully understand and give informed consent.
Preferred Pronouns - Many people (intersex or otherwise) donât identify as a binary gender, especially when their bodies donât line up in a typical binary box. Ask someone what their preferred gender pronoun is. Theyâll love you for it!
What are some other intersex resources?
We have an ever-growing list of resources on our page. Please check there for more information on support groups or legal help.
What can you do as an ally?
Call out others when they say harmful things. Be our advocates where you can, but also give us a chance to educate. Donât speak over an intersex person, as chances are weâre a lot more familiar with these issues than you are. Listen and try to understand our stories, as weâre pretty incredible people. :)
Sign the Justice for M.C pledge and learn more about this important case involving a young child who was given normalizing surgery while he was in foster care. The M.C. case is just one example of the ways intersex people and their families are hurt by a rush to secrecy and irreversible surgery.
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