V Hermaphrodites are people born with both

male and female sexual parts (PH. D. Ness

and PH. D. Knight 2004). It aims to explain
the presence of both male and female
gonads within the same individual (Herbst
1992). In addition, it also means that true
hermaphrodite have the same testicular
and ovarian tissue that is well developed
and non digenetic (Wallach 1995).
V Historically, the term Õ
Õ
 has
also been used to describe ambiguous
genitalia and gonadal mosaicism in
individuals of gonochoristic species,
especially human beings. The word
hermaphrodite entered the English lexicon
in the 15th century, derived from the Greek

Õ

. Recently, the word
"intersex" has come into preferred usage for
humans, since the word "hermaphrodite" is
considered to be misleading and
stigmatizing.
 eginning in the late nineteenth century,
medicine became the primary means for dealing
with intersex. efore then, the vast majority of people
with intersex conditions went unnoticed by legal,
religious, or medical establishments and only a few
cases per year came to the attention of authorities.
Presumably other people with so-called ´abnormalµ
sex anatomies lived average lives, either because
their anatomical variance was undetectable or was
not considered especially important. When a
newborn had a high degree of genital ambiguity,
midwives, grandmothers, and other local elders
appear to have assigned the sex. (In terms of sexual
orientation, all people were expected to then have
sexual relations solely with those who had been
identified as the ´oppositeµ sex; in many places,
violation of this rule was punishable by violent,
sometimes fatal means).
 However, by the late 1800s, through
gynecological sciences and numerous wartime
military medical examinations, doctors gained a
much better sense that ´abnormalµ sex anatomies
were actually quite common. Indeed, late-
nineteenth century medical men began reporting
dozens of cases a year of ´hermaphroditismµ and
´pseudo-hermaphroditism.µ ecause most medical
experts were politically conservative and wanted to
keep sex borders clearly defined to combat open
homosexuality and the rise of feminism, intersex
caused them notable stress. (The conflation of sex,
sexual orientation, and gender expression becomes
clear in the 1890s use of the term ´psychic
hermaphroditismµ to refer to gay men, and in the
common ´scientificµ claim that university education
physically ´masculinizedµ women.) Therefore,
biomedical specialists devised a system that would
label everyone ´truly maleµ or ´truly female,µ
regardless of the extent and natural reality of sexual
blending.
 Gedical doctors created an arbitrary
standard based on gonadal tissue, which
persists in most medical texts today. A person
with non-standard sex anatomy and ovaries is
seen as a ´female pseudo-hermaphroditeµ; a
person with non-standard sex anatomy and
testes, is seen as a ´male pseudo-
hermaphroditeµ; and if a person has ovarian
and testicular tissue, they are seen as a ´true
hermaphrodite.µ Given the technological
limitations of the time, Victorian doctors liked
this system because they couldn·t easily
diagnose ´true hermaphroditismµ in living
people; as a consequence, for the most part
the only ´true hermaphroditesµ were dead and
dissected people and the only medical
information about intersex came from
posthumous examinations.
 All other people thought to be intersex,
including pseudo-hermaphroditic, were
labeled ´truly maleµ or ´truly femaleµ and told
to act socially and sexually normative in their
assigned gender. However, with improved
medical techniques and increased access to
healthcare, many more people were being
diagnosed with a biological ´true sexµ that
made no sense socially. (In the 1910s as today,
women with androgen insensitivity couldn·t
practically be labeled men just because they
had testes.) And, in a bi-polar gender
paradigm, there was no simple social category
for those diagnosed with ´true
hermaphroditism.µ So, by the 1920s, experts
treating intersex developed a notion of gender
(social role) separated from biological sex
(Youg 1937).
V The main advantage of hermaphroditism
is the assurance of a reproductive
partner. And you don·t need to rely on
others to keep reproducing. Gany
studies have shown that under certain
conditions, hermaphrodites have more
offspring than individuals that functions
more (Cha-Cha.com).
V A disadvantage would be that there is
less genetic diversity. It eliminates
completion for a male, allowing
defected and less suitable organisms to
pass on their genes and it has the
potential for interference between male
and female floral function (Cha-
Cha.com).
V The main problems of persons with hermaphrodite when it comes to
psychological aspects are gender identity disorder, congenital adrenal
hyperplasia, male pseudo hermaphroditism and physical intersex
condition. Treatment of psychological problems of 59 children with a
physical intersex condition is described. The group consisted of 18
female pseudo hermaphrodites with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
(CAH), 20 male pseudo hermaphrodites and 2 true hermaphrodites born
with ambiguous external genitalia assigned the female sex (ambiguous
girls), 14 male pseudo hermaphrodites born with completely female
external genitalia and assigned the female sex (completely female
group), and 5 male pseudo hermaphrodites born with ambiguous
external genitalia and assigned the male sex. Despite the sex
assignment, genital organ correction soon after birth, psychological
counseling of parents and intensive psychotherapy of the children,
general psychopathology developed equally in all 4 groups (39% of
total group). Although 87% of the girls with a physical intersex condition
developed in line with the assigned sex, 13% developed a gender
identity disorder though only 1 girl (2%) failed to accept the assigned
sex. Gender identity disorder and deviant gender role were in evidence
only in girls with CAH and girls of the ambiguous group. iological and
social factors seem responsible with the development of gender identity
disorder, such as pre-postnatal hormonal influences on the brain
enabling deviant gender role behavior to develop, and an inability on
the part of parents to accept the sex assignment. A reconsideration of
the sex assignment in male pseudo hermaphrodites and true
hermaphrodites born with ambiguous external genitalia is discussed
(Wikipedia.com).
V During his puberty, a boy goes through five stages of
sexual development. oys normally start to show the
physical changes of puberty between ages of 11 and
14, which is slightly older than the girls start puberty. The
male sex hormone called testosterone and other
hormones cause the physical changes. y age 18
growth of facial hair begins. Adult height is reached.
Penis and testicles have reached full adult size. Pubic,
underarm and leg hair are adult color, texture and
distribution. Overall look is that of a young adult man.
Gany girls are fully developed by the age of 16, but
others will continue to develop through age 18. Adult
height is most likely reached. reast development is
complete. Pubic hair forms a thick, curly, triangular
patch. Ovulation and menstruation normally occurs
regularly. y and the large the look is that of a young
adult woman (Answer.com).
 Those who realize that intersexed people really do
exist may wonder, ´If there may be as many as one
out of two thousand people affected by some form
of intersex condition, then where they are? Why
don·t we hear more about them or have more
information about their lives?

The answer is that most intersexed people have a

very, difficult time with the personal issues which
surround them. There is a relatively small group of out-
the-closet intersexuals in the world. This number is
steadily growing but the cast majority of them live
with the silence, made great strides in being
recognized and accepted. There are thousands of
books written by gay men and women and even
dozens on the subject of transsexuality.
 The reason may be that most intersexed people have
been subjected to very powerful family, medical and societal
proscriptions about their bodies or medical status. His begins
from the very moment of birth for most of them because that
is usually when the question is first asked ´Is it a boy or a girl?µ

Intersexuals who are subjected to neonatal surgery

undergo an early physical trauma resulting in a lifelong
trauma on many levels. Intersexuals who miss early surgery
often grow up alone and confused. They are also often
abused because of their ´in betweenµ status. Surgery as
young teens and adults to ´correctµ their bodies is also
traumatic and may not have a satisfactory outcome. It all
adds up to one thing: a very strong desire to keep quiet and
not tell anyone about their being intersexed.

Another factor may be abuse. Some intersexed children

are abused by peers and family due to their intersexuality. ut
there is also a sort if institutionalized abuse which takes its toll
as well. The constant dehumanizing exams and case studies
are painful, humiliating and upsetting for a child or young
teenager. The result is a desire to never have to talk or deal
with the subject ever again (Google.com).
V  nlike other communities outside the realm of
heterosexual thinking, intersexed people are not
thought of in sexual terms as much as in medical
terms. Society has forced them to remain in the
closet. They have been left alone to deal with their
ongoing battle to stop the travesty of early childhood
gender assignment mutilation.

However, becoming aware that their numbers

constitute a sizeable population should be enough to
seriously get our attention. They are human beings
who love and have the same need as all of us to be
loved in return. As in the heterosexual community,
some have little or no desire for primary relationships
or physical intimacy, where as, others enjoy the same
with committed mates and are living happy,
productive, and fulfilling lives.
The lesson here is that we need to stop viewing
intersexual people as some kind of biological
mistake or oddity. They are indeed a natural
manifestation of God·s design and fully invested
citizens of the human race. In fact, their very
existence forces the most conservative religious
people to reconsider their own attitudes toward
those who do not fit what has been considered as
the traditional understanding of a two sex only
society.

There are many of them who enjoy wonderful

relationships with those who not only accept them
but love them in the deeply. To think that a dual
gendered individual could not enjoy such things as
a result of some king ´birth defectµ is false thinking
to say the least.
There are more things in this world than most of
us have ever imagined or could even begin to
dream about. The very fact that intersexed
people walk among us, live real lives, and have
probably crossed most of our paths at one time
or another should motivate us to revisit the
narrow confines of our own thinking. They
remind us that the world is a place of wonder
and filled with people whose experiences is not
limited to the norms of any given culture, age,
or society.
They are not asking for tolerance. What they
deserve as human belongs is full acceptance
and love. That·s the right of any human being
regardless of their sexual orientation.
Otherwise, God would not have allowed
them to exist among us.
V Harry was born hermaphrodite (Intersex).
For many years, the truth of this was hidden
and kept secret. Doctors lied by omission.
When Harry started having bleeding once a
month after reaching puberty, Doctors
would not tell him what was causing it, they
only said that it was nothing to worry about
and that it would eventually stop.
As a child, Harry did not feel like he was like
other boys. And Harry did not feel like he
was like other girls either. It felt like he was
an alien. When he first discovered the word
androgyny, he finally realized what he was.
When a baby is first born, the first question usually asked is:
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Gender is an integral part of our core
identity. Even language reflects this: we are an "it" until we
are assigned a gender. Once a gender is assigned, it
influences powerful social forces upon us.

We live in a gender binary society. His true gender has

been eradicated from existence at a legal level, a
psychological level, and a physical (medical) level. In our
society, there are only two genders that are allowed to
exist, female and male.The sexual reassignment surgery
that doctors performed when he was an infant was a
disservice. Gender is much more complex than just body
parts. A few cosmetic surgeries cannot change one's true
gender. Gender is much more complex, involving bone
structure, brain chemistry, neurological wiring, hormones,
and much more. Yet doctors did surgery and sent him into
the world as a male. The problem is that he was not born
male and he does not have all the necessary ingredients
to be a male. He could go into a lot of technical details
about biological gender building blocks, but that is not his
purpose here
 A few cosmetic surgeries cannot change
our true gender. Harry is not a male and not
yet a female. It called it a hermaphrodite, a
blending of some female components and
some male components. All the Psychological
and Neurological testing confirm this. That
neurologically wired differently from females
and males. He had twice the normal wiring
between the hemispheres of his brain. He had
EEG brainwave patterns that are unique. So
even at the level of the brain, his brain does
not have the normal sex characteristics that
males and females have.
On the emotional level, he does not
conform to gender stereotypes. He is highly
sensitive. That had a high degree of empathy
and intuition. He is aggressive and strong on
an emotional level.
 On a mental level, He had highly skilled
advanced spatial reasoning capabilities and
able to perform well with multi-dimensional
reasoning. Yet, he is deficient when it comes to
two-dimensional reasoning. He can perform
differential equations in calculus, but he unable
to do basic arithmetic functions of addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division.
At a neurological level, he is a hermaphrodite.
Surgery cannot change this. On a hormonal
level, this possibly could be altered using
hormone therapy, but he is happy with his
hermaphrodite mixture of female and male
hormones.
In many ways, he is also a paradox. He
walked in the shadows of our modern culture. He
seen and yet not seen. When people truly notice
like Harry conditions, they often do a double
take. Is harry a boy or a girl?
 Harry shared this because he wants to break
the illusion that doctors created by making her
appear male physically. Long ago he did try to fit
in as a male, but since he was not born male, it
was a dismal failure. Now Harry is happy identifying
as a hermaphrodite. It is the truth and he will not
be eradicated. In many ways, Harry is a boy with a
clit. His body produces mixed pheromones and a
mixture of sex fluids, creating an elixir of vaginal
fluid and pre-cum drips, mixed hormones of his
body bring union of desires. They were
acknowledged and seen as having gifts when it
comes to spiritual matters. It prepares them to walk
the path of both the material world and the realm
of the spirit. From living in a sex-negative society,
we all need nurturing, healing, and a safe space to
express our sexual nature.