Intersex Awareness Day - Dispelling Intersex Myths

Intersex is a term typically used when a person has both male and female sex characteristics. These characteristics may be external presentations, hormones, chromosomes, and/or internal reproductive organs.

[Image depicts the Intersex flag]

Now that we have a basic definition of what it means to be intersex, let’s look at some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding it.

Myth 1: Everybody is either born male or female

Fact: There are millions of people around the world who have sexual characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. Sometimes these characteristics are visible at birth, sometimes they appear at puberty, and sometimes they are not physically apparent at all.

Myth 2: Being intersex is very rare

Fact: Being born with intersex traits is said to occur in approximately 1.7% of the population. For perspective, this is a rate similar to other characteristics such as being born with red hair. Despite this, many people still do not understand the term intersex, and the representation of intersex people is significantly lacking. This may be in part due to the fact that while some intersex people will know from birth or puberty, other people who are intersex may not even know that they are.

Myth 3: Being intersex is a condition that needs to be corrected

Fact: While often time medical professionals use various types of surgery to “normalize” intersex children, these procedures are often invasive, irreversible, and unnecessary. While the intentions may be to help, the reality is that these interventions can instead cause major challenges with fertility, pain, incontinence, and other physical health consequences not to mention the lifelong psychological impact they can also have.

Myth 4: Intersex people are transgender.

Fact: Being intersex has nothing to do with being transgender. The word “transgender” – or trans – is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. The word “intersex” relates to physical sexual characteristics, and not to an internal sense of identity. An intersex person may also identify as trans, but they are separate things because gender and sex are separate.

Myth 5: No one is speaking out for intersex people

Fact: While there are indeed still a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about what it means to be intersex, there are various organizations and intersex activists who are fighting to protect human rights and raise awareness. These activists strive to create a future where no more children have to experience the suffering many intersex people have.

[Image depicts - a collage of drawings of people interspersed with the intersex flag and male and female symbols.]

Questions:

1. Can you think of any other myths about being intersex that need to be dispelled?

2. Why do you think it’s important for intersex people to receive more representation?

3. If you want to share, are you intersex? Anything you wish more people understood about your experiences? Maybe you aren’t personally, but know someone who is?

   

   [Image reads “Fix hearts not parts”]

Sources: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/intersex#born-intersex

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/10/its-intersex-awareness-day-here-are-5-myths-we-need-to-shatter/

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