Biological Aspects of Sex and Intersex

Gender identity disorder (GID) often called transsexuality, is a somewhat new and emerging field of medicine and bioscience that although treated with skepticism by society at large, is being slowly understood as the physical manifestation of many genetic chromosomal disorders. It is important that parents, teachers, family members, and sympathetic friends not be quick to judge a person’s mental capacity as being impaired since the genetic disposition perturbs an individual on the quantum level; way outside the realm of what is seen and even understood medically or psychologically. Adolescent individuals who are self-described as Intersexuals or who may be having problems with gender dsyphoria (confusion) are especially susceptible to psychological distress because they are already usually suffering from problems with fitting in, puberty, and defining themselves.

The best advice when realizing a genetic predisposition for a sexuality that does not match one’s phenotype is to seek private sympathetic counseling at one’s earliest convenience. This may exclude family and religious individuals since society has proven itself largely unable to wield an acceptable level of tolerance. If you believe you or someone you know may be suffering from a condition that lends itself to Intersexuality or gender identity disorder, contact the American Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) at http://www.isna.org. If you have an opportunity to be a friend to someone in such a situation, exercise patience with them since they are almost always going to be carrying a larger burden than may be obvious, and give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are talking about, since they most likely are the only ones who do.

References

Callahan, G. (2009). Between XX and XY: Intersexuality and the Myths of Two Sexes. Chicago,

            IL: Chicago Review Press.

Procopiuc, C., Dumitrescu, C., Chirita, C., Carsote, M., Caragheorgheopol, A., Goldstein, A., &

            Poiana, C. (2009). Complete sex reversal: SRY positive 46,XX male by Y to X

            translocation. Acta Endocrinologica (Buc), 5(4), 525-531.

van Rijn, S., Swaab, H., Aleman, A., & Kahn, R.S. (2008). Social behavior and autism traits in

            a sex chromosomal disorder: Klinefelter (47XXY) Syndrome. J. Autism Dev Disord., 38,

            1634-1641.