Between XX and XY : Intersexuality and the Myth of Two Sexes

“On October 10, 1970, the day she was born, she was named Dorothy Maree Alaniz—a baby girl. Curiously, though, no one filled out a birth certificate that day. When the certificate was finally filed on November 5, the name on it was Rudolph Andrew Alaniz. Within less than one month after her birth, this girl became a boy.” Every year in the United States, more than two thousand children are born with an intersex condition or disorder of sex development. What makes someone a boy or a girl? Is it external genitalia, chromosomes, DNA, environment, or some combination of these factors? Not even doctors or scientists are entirely clear. What is clear is that sex is not an either-or proposition: not girl/boy, XX/XY, switching between two poles like an on-off switch on a radio. Rather, sex is like the bass and treble knobs on that radio. Between XX and XY provides a fascinating look at the science of sex and what makes people male or female. There are people born XXY, XXXY, or XXXXY, or with any number of variations in X or Y chromosomes, but those who do not fit into society’s preconceived notions about sex often face a difficult path in life. Dr. Callahan explores why humans are so attached to the idea of two sexes, and examines our obsession with sex and sexual intercourse through the ages. Providing a fascinating look at the science of sex and what makes people male or female, this book explains dozens of intersex conditions—such as hermaphroditism, Klinefelter syndrome, and androgen insensitivity syndrome—and includes personal interviews with people living with these conditions telling their surprising and often heart-wrenching stories. Even doctors and scientists are not entirely sure if external genitalia, internal sex organs, chromosomes, DNA, environment, or some combination define a person's sex, but this examination shows that sex is not an either-or proposition: not girl/boy, XX/XY—there are babies born XYY, XXX, or with any dozen or more known variations in the X or Y chromosomes. The history and the current treatment for intersex conditions as well as the options that are available today for the ambiguous child are covered in this captivating account that truly shows what it means to be human. Front Cover ......Page 1 Table of Contents ......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 1 The Puzzle of Intersex: The Story of Lenore......Page 14 2 A Brief History of Sex......Page 22 3 Sex Versus Reproduction: Why Are We So Married to the Idea of Two Sexes?......Page 46 4 Where Our Sexes Come From: The Abridged Version......Page 60 5 Where Our Sexes Come From: The Rest of the Story......Page 72 6 What We Do About the Ambiguous Child......Page 128 7 Outcomes: Sex, Surgery, and Satisfaction......Page 140 8 Alternatives: Other Cultures, Other Sexes......Page 156 9 Choices: Exploring the Options......Page 168 Epilogue: Untying the Knot......Page 174 Notes......Page 178 Glossary......Page 188 Resources......Page 196 Index......Page 200 The problem of intersex: the story of Lenore A brief history of sex Sex versus reproduction: why are we so married to the idea of two sexes? Where our sexes come from: the abridged version Where our sexes come from: the rest of the story What we do about the ambiguous child Outcomes: sex, surgery, and satisfaction Alternatives: other cultures, other sexes Choices: exploring the options. Examines the conception of two sexes as a social, not biological, construct, and argues that gender is not easily determined and that intersex individuals should be accepted for what they are, discussing the effectiveness of gender reconstruction and other related topics