If an intersex person is born with a functioning uterus, ovaries, and a vagina, most likely that person will start menstruating at puberty. The experience of having a period can vary hugely from person to person, and this true for those who are intersex as well! Just remember there is no normal, only what is ‘normal’ for your own body.
When do intersex people start menstruating?
If an intersex person is born with a functioning uterus, ovaries, and a vagina, most likely that person will start menstruating at puberty. The experience of having a period can vary hugely from person to person, and this true for those who are intersex as well! Just remember there is no normal, only what is ‘normal’ for your own body.
What are the different kinds of intersex conditions?
There are several different kinds of intersex conditions which can lead to different experiences during puberty. Some intersex people, like those with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) and Turner Syndrome, go through puberty later than usual or don’t experience all the typical parts of puberty, like hair growth.
Can intersex people have periods and carry children?
There are intersex people who can have periods and carry children, and intersex people who can produce sperm. There are some who can’t. There are intersex people who find out they have both ovarian and testicular tissue after having given birth.
Do periods go hand in hand with intersex dating?
Three intersex advocates told Teen Vogue that expectation is part of what stigmatizes being intersex. For intersex advocates Hanne Gaby Odiele, Pidgeon Pagonis and Emily Quinn, periods and dating go hand in hand because they had always feared telling their partners they couldn't have children.
How do I know if Im intersex?
SymptomsAmbiguous genitalia at birth.Micropenis.Clitoromegaly (an enlarged clitoris)Partial labial fusion.Apparently undescended testes (which may turn out to be ovaries) in boys.Labial or inguinal (groin) masses (which may turn out to be testes) in girls.More items...•
Can intersex people get pregnant?
If they have ovaries or ovotestes, that tissue could be used for reproduction in some cases. Some intersex people do have ovaries, a uterus, and a vagina, and could get pregnant by contact with sperm. Fertility is different for each intersex person. Many, but not all, intersex variations do result in infertility.
Has a boy ever had a period?
Guys don't have periods because they have don't have a uterus. The long answer is: Girls and guys have different reproductive organs.
What is puberty like for intersex people?
In some cases, your body may change in ways that you feel don't align with your gender identity. For example, some boys with AIS or Klinefelter Syndrome may grow breasts during puberty, and some girls with 5-Alpha-Reductase Deficiency may find their voices deepening or facial hair growing.
What celebrity is intersex?
Notable intersex peopleCarlett Brown Angianlee, Naval officer, considered likely to be the first African American to undergo SRS.Eden Atwood, U.S. jazz musician, actor, and an advocate for the civil rights of people born with intersex traits.More items...
Can you be intersex without knowing?
Other times, someone might not know they're intersex until later in life, like when they go through puberty. Sometimes a person can live their whole life without ever discovering that they're intersex.
Which age periods will stop?
Naturally declining reproductive hormones. In your 40s, your menstrual periods may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent, until eventually — on average, by age 51 — your ovaries stop releasing eggs, and you have no more periods.
What is the male period called?
Although men will not bleed, nor will they experience all of the same symptoms as women, these hormonal shifts can have some pretty notable side effects, especially with mood and irritability. Some call it the “man period” others call it Irritable Male Syndrome, either way, it can be quite similar to a woman's PMS.
What is the oldest woman to have a period?
The oldest menstruating women were 57 yr old.
Do intersex people take hormones?
Hormonal therapy forms part of the treatment of every intersex condition. For some conditions, such as salt-wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hormonal replacement therapy is life saving because hormones necessary for survival (cortisol and aldosterone) are replaced.
Can intersex reproduce with themselves?
Molecules on the sperm and eggs of hermaphroditic organisms ensures that they mate with others.
Can a hermaphrodite produce sperm?
Hermaphroditism is usually identified by gonad morphology; there are three main groups or categories. One is synchronous hermaphrodites, in which mature testicular and ovarian tissues are present at the same time, and both produce sperm and ova, respectively.
Can a man get pregnant without a uterus?
People who are born male and living as men cannot get pregnant. A transgender man or nonbinary person may be able to, however. It is only possible for a person to be pregnant if they have a uterus.
How common is intersex?
It is estimated that up to 1.7 percent of the population has an intersex trait and that approximately 0.5 percent of people have clinically identifiable sexual or reproductive variations.
Why do intersex advocates go hand in hand?
For intersex advocates Hanne Gaby Odiele, Pidgeon Pagonis and Emily Quinn, periods and dating go hand in hand because they had always feared telling their partners they couldn't have children. That, Pidgeon explained, is why intersex bodies are ...
Can you get your period suck?
Sometimes getting your period can really suck. The cramps and the bloating aren't fun, but at the end of the day, periods are seen as a rite of passage for many people. It's also an experience that in our culture signifies womanhood.
What does it mean to be intersex?
1. Intersex people have ‘both’ parts, or are ‘both’ sexes.
What are some examples of intersex people?
For example, a person may be born with mostly aligning anatomy, but missing a few parts, such as a uterus or testes. An intersex person may have aligning internal anatomy, and hormonal differences that cause differences in secondary traits like breast development or facial hair.
Why don't intersex people belong in LGBTQIA?
Intersex people don’t belong in the LGBTQIA acronym because we are a ‘medical thing.’. “Depathologization” is a fancy term that means accepting something as a natural human experience, instead of a medical problem to fix. Nowadays, LGB people are for the most part depathologized in mainstream U.S. culture.
How many medical diagnosis terms are there for intersex people?
5. All intersex people with a specific medical diagnosis are one gender. There are over 40 medical diagnosis terms that describe different combinations of intersex traits. Increasingly, some medical groups lobbying against intersex autonomy have attempted to splinter the community by medical diagnosis.
When is Intersex Awareness Day?
By Hans Lindahl. October 26 2019 6:00 AM EDT. October 26th is Intersex Awareness Day, the anniversary of the first protest against medical harm to our community in the United States.
Can an intersex person have any gender?
Intersex people can have any gender. Having an intersex body and a nonbinary gender are often conflated in the media. Some intersex people have nonbinary gender. Some do not. We’re just like any other group in our diversity of expression.
Is intersex body a mental disorder?
Just as being LGB or T is not a mental disorder, having an intersex body is not a physical disorder. Intersex bodies have always complicated the lines between gay and straight relationships, cisgender and transgender existence. To avoid having to think about this, it was always easier for systems to erase us.
What are intersex people born with?
Intersex people are born with biological characteristics that don’t fit inside the strict binary of “female” and “male.”. There are lots of different ways of being intersex, which can lead to different experiences during puberty. Some intersex people, like those with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) and Turner Syndrome, ...
Is it bad to be intersex?
You can check out InterACT for resources and support. Remember that being intersex isn’t unhealthy or bad.
Can intersex people go through puberty?
Some intersex people, like those with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) and Turner Syndrome, go through puberty later than usual or don’t experience all the usual parts of puberty, like hair growth. Other intersex people, like those with Swyer Syndrome, won’t go through puberty unless they use hormone replacement therapy.
What is the term for the part of the menstrual cycle in which blood, comprising uterine lining?
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) states that a period is the part of the menstrual cycle in which blood, comprising uterine lining, leaves the body. People who do not have ovaries and a uterus do not experience periods. However, PMS and PMDD are terms that refer to the physical and emotional symptoms that people may experience ...
What are the symptoms of PMS?
The Office on Women’s Health note that these symptoms can include: irritability. tiredness. sleeping too much or too little. appetite changes. anxiety. rapid changes in mood.
What is PMS and PMDD?
However, PMS and PMDD are terms that refer to the physical and emotional symptoms that people may experience before their period begins. These conditions occur due to fluctuations in hormones. The symptoms of PMDD are similar to those of PMS but are more severe. Learn more about how PMDD and PMS differ here. Transgender women can transition in ...
What is the treatment for transgender women?
Transgender women may undergo gender-affirming treatment, such as hormone therapy . As a side effect of hormone therapy , they may experience symptoms similar to those of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). While some symptoms of PMS and PMDD are physical, others are emotional or psychological.
How do transgender women transition?
Transgender women can transition in a variety of ways. One way that a person may transition is through the use of gender-affirming hormone therapy. Transgender women who undergo hormone therapy may take oral, transdermal, or injectable versions of estrogen. They may also use anti-androgens, such as progesterone.
How to track trans women?
Trans women can track their symptoms in several ways, the most simple of which is to keep a diary. People can note down which symptoms they experience when, which may help them discover any patterns.
Why is it important not to say that a person is not transgender?
It is important never to say that a person is not transgender because they have not transitioned using a certain method.
Glossary
Intersex: Applies to a person with a combination of sex characteristics - chromosomes, genitals or reproductive organs - neither solely male nor female
More from the Magazine
In the English language, the word "he" is used to refer to males and "she" to refer to females. But some people identify as neither gender, or both - which is why an increasing number of US universities are making it easier for people to choose to be referred to by other pronouns, writes Avinash Chak.
What is gender dysphoria?
Many trans and non-binary people experience gender dysphoria, defined by the DSM-5 as as "the psychological and physical discomfort one has with the outward appearance of their sex and the internal experience of one's gender identity. ". Transmasculine people often experience severe dysphoria while menstruating.
Is birth control gender affirming?
But this procedure should be offered as a way to free trans, assigned-female-at-birth people from a monthly reminder that the world is slow in acknowledging their gender identity. Birth control can also be gender-affirming, as a less permanent way to reduce period symptoms.
Can you get your period with gender dysphoria?
Getting your period when you have gender dysphoria. Many trans and non-binary people experience gender dysphoria, defined by the DSM-5 as as "the psychological and physical discomfort one has with the outward appearance of their sex and the internal experience of one's gender identity.". Transmasculine people often experience severe dysphoria ...
What is intersex condition?
The most common cause of intersex conditions is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which occurs in 1 out of every 15,000 live births worldwide. There are four main categories of intersex conditions: Female with male-looking or ambiguous genitals.
What is intersex disorder?
Intersex conditions, also known as disorders of sex development (DSD), occur when infants are born with a mix of male and female genital ia. The disorders cause a mismatch in the external and internal reproductive organs. The child's body may not be completely male, nor totally female. For example, a person may appear female, ...
What is a mix of male and female characteristics?
A mix of male and female characteristics. In this type of intersex condition—known as true gonadal DSD or ovotesticular DSD—the person has both testicular and ovarian tissue. The tissue may appear as a separate ovary and testis, or show up within the same gonad (called an ovotestis).
What causes intersex disorder in children?
Frequency of these conditions depends upon the specific type. The most common cause of intersex conditions is congenital adrenal hyperplasia ...
How to diagnose intersex disorder?
For this, a physician will typically begin by taking this history and prenatal history, followed by a physical examination of the child's anatomy.
Can intersex disorders cause mismatches?
Unlike other types of intersex conditions, these disorders don’t lead to a mismatch between the internal and external genitalia. However, there may be other problems, such as with sexual development at puberty or the levels of the sex hormones.
Can intersex syndrome occur in puberty?
In this case, symptoms may not appear until puberty. With this type of intersex condition, a person has male chromosomes (XY), but the external genitals appear female, ambiguous, or incompletely formed. In some cases, the testes do not descend and remain inside the body.
