Intersex

An intersex symbol

Intersex is a term applied to people whose biological sex cannot be classed as clearly male or female.

"An intersex person may have the biological attributes of both sexes or lack some of the biological attributes considered necessary to be defined as one or the other sex."

Chromosome differences

The nucleus of a human cell usually contains 46 chromosomes, comrpising 22 pairs of autosomes, plus two allosomes (sex chromosomes). The two allosomes are usually X and Y for a man, or X and X for a woman. Some other combinations are:

• 45,X – a female with one X chromosome missing, also known as Turner syndrome
• 47,XYY – a male with an extra Y chromosome
• 47,XXY – a male with an extra X chromosome, also known as Klinefelter syndrome
• 47,XXX – a female with an extra X chromosome

Intersex conditions

There are various types of intersex condition, with different causes, including:

• Klinefelter syndrome
• androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) in which the person has a Y chromosome, but the androgens (male sex hormones) are not produced as normal.

References

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