Science in Seconds - Intersex

Science in Seconds Know Everything RUMOURS – Intersex Rheanna Sand: If you haven't heard of South African runner Caster Semenya, you may have missed out on a very educational moment in human history. Semenya won the gold at the 800-meter event at the World Championships of Athletics in 2009. Then, under suspicion of not being truly female, she was forced to undergo gender testing. Genetics tests proved that Semenya is a female. Her cells carry two X chromosomes, rather than the male XY pair. But some reports suggested that she has three times the amount of testosterone in her blood than most females. And some even say that she has a combination of male and female parts. So let's take this opportunity to lay the facts bare. Human sex cannot be divided into pure males and pure females. There's an entire spectrum in between known as intersex. Traditionally called hermaphrodites, most people think the intersex means that you have a complete set of male and female organs all crowed together down there. When really the effects can be much more subtle. For example, an intersex person may look completely female on the outside, but have internal testes instead of ovaries. Or they may have reduced male parts that are fully functional but don't look normal, resulting in disastrous corrective surgeries. Intersex people are too often victims of medical intervention, when this only marginalizes a very natural segment of the human population. Perhaps the controversy surrounding Semenya can help break the barrier of silence that often surrounds those who don't fit neatly into the narrow confines of male and female. Courtesy of Science in Seconds – All rights reserved Only for educational/non-profit purposes. (Translators are invited to put their name here)