"Am I intersex?"
If you have ever asked this question, we hope this post finds you.
Do you have high levels of androgens, or high levels of estrogen? That is intersex. (Yes, even if its from PCOS. Yes, even if you are 'female' with hyperestrogenism or hypoandrogenism, or 'male' with hyperandrogenism or hypoestrogenism.)
Do you have low levels of androgens, or low levels of estrogen (not caused by menopause/andropause)? Or does your body not process the hormones it is producing? That is intersex
Do you have chromosomes that differ from XX or XY? Or do your chromosomes "mismatch" your body? That is intersex
Is your urethra in an atypical spot, being lower or higher than expected (hypospadias or epispadias)? Were you born with an extra urethra? Or is your urethra merged with your vaginal canal, anus, or both? That is intersex
Were you born with a curved penis (congenital chordee)? Were you born with a scrotum that is atypical (penoscrotal transposition, shawl scrotum, etc)? Do you have an extra penis? That is intersex
Were you born with genitals that have absent, small, or closed parts? A narrow, incomplete, or absent urethra? A narrow or shallow vagina? An absent vagina? A hymen or tissue that partially or fully blocks the vaginal entry? A vulva that has absent labia on one or both sides? A small or absent clitoris? A micropenis? A congenital hidden/buried penis? A penis born with no foreskin? Undescended testicles (that didn't naturally descend within the first 3-6 months after birth)? Little or no genitalia whatsoever? That is intersex
Do you have ambiguous genitals (that ARENT from surgery or HRT?) Do you have a bifid scrotum? Do you have fused labia? Do you have a large clitoris (yes, even one that developed natally during puberty)? Do you have a penis and a clitoris at the same time? Or penis with labia? Or a penis where a clitoris "should" be? Or a vaginal canal underneath a penis? That is intersex
Are your reproductive organs atypical? Is your uterus, prostate, gonads, fallopian tubes, vas deferens, or seminal vesicles small or absent? Do you have streak gonads? Do you have extra reproductive traits (extra gonads, extra vas deferens, uterus didelphys, etc)? Do you have both ovarian tissue and testicular tissue present in your body at the same time? Do you have a prostate and a uterus at the same time? That is intersex
Whether you have only ONE of these traits, or MULTIPLE of these traits - the conclusion is the same. Every single trait listed here...is intersex.
And if you used to have these things, but your body was changed (either by yourself, or as a form of medical abuse, such as genital mutilation, reproductive mutilation, hormone abuse, etc)...you are still intersex.
Doctors will very likely not diagnose you as intersex. They may actively deny your intersex status when you call yourself that. But you are intersex if you fall under any of these traits. They will instead likely tell you that you have a "hormone disorder", "urogenital/genital deformity/disorder", "reproductive disorder/deformity", "disorder of sexual development/DSD", or other intersexist work-arounds that they were taught in medical school, or personally came up with.
