intesex condition

doomwdfortune · Nov 26, 2011

I'm creating an intersexed character and need some information on the different conditions, mostly i want to know how these conditions would effect the look of someone i would also like to know about heath problems an individual might face. i would like for the character I'm creating to present as typically female but also to have male reproductive organs, is their a condition that would cause this. or should i make up a fictional condition that matches my needs, and would doing that insult people.

Maryn · Nov 26, 2011

You'd want to research hermaphrodites, born with both penis/testes and vagina/ovaries. In places with modern medicine, such infants' parents are often urged to select the gender and the 'wrong' organs are surgically removed at a young age. Often hormone replacement therapy is required for life. Most often the child is raised as a girl, since the surgery is easier.

This does not always work out. There are many cases of girls who believe themselves to be boys caught in a female body before puberty is even a factor. When they are old enough to access their own medical records, they learn the truth. Many choose to attempt surgical correction to become the 'right' gender. And some of them get shows on Discovery or TLC so people like me learn about them.

More research should involve transgendered people who think of themselves as female, live as females, dress and groom and behave as females, but have male genitalia. (Or the other way around.) There are also crossdressers, not the same at all.

I suspect you probably need to do a fair amount of homework to figure out exactly what exists, how it compares to what your fiction needs, and what setting it takes place in--for instance, a hermaphradite born in Pennsylvania in 2001 isn't going to have the same options as one born in Latvia in 1956.

Yeah, there's always research to do, but this should be interesting research. There's a lot of total BS online about sexual identity and gender issues, so make sure you're looking at reliable sources before trusting the content.

Maryn, who likes your Carlin signature line

Howl at the Sun · Nov 26, 2011

It sounds like you might want to do some reading on how to be polite before you dive into this conversation.

http://www.survivorproject.org/is-intro.html is a good place to start.

Drachen Jager · Nov 26, 2011

This is the perfect time to bring up the old chestnut. "Write what you know"

If you've never known, never met, never seen on television or read about people with these attributes, why on earth would you think you're qualified to write about them?

I know as writers we all make stuff up, we don't write exactly what we know, even memoirists tend to enhance reality to keep it more interesting, but you need at least a kernel of experience if you're going to hang major elements of your story off of something. It's almost like someone saying they want to write about a fictional war, but they've never experienced war, read a book about war, seen a film about war or even come within spitting distance of a firearm. You're setting yourself up for failure.

Becca_H · Nov 27, 2011

doomwdfortune said:
mostly i want to know how these conditions would effect the look of someone i would also like to know about heath problems an individual might face.

I know little about the intersex condition, but I might suggest as a starting point to consider transgender issues, due to many intersex people being assigned the incorrect gender at birth. As Maryn says, this represents a significant part of the issue. I know someone who was intersex, assigned male at birth and had to transition into female.

The second place to start is the social role of gender, as this is deep, powerful subject to explore, especially with someone who's born without an easy-to-assign gender role.

Mac H. · Nov 27, 2011

This is a great video to start with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuXL-3eoB-o

I know - it isn't exactly the symptoms you want, but it covers quite well how she reacts to finding out that she isn't quite biologically the way she (and her family) assumed she was.

It's a fascinating topic

Mac

LianneSimon · Nov 30, 2011

Write me

I would be happy to answer any questions you have regarding intersex conditions. Drop me a line at liannesimon yahoo com.

Buffysquirrel · Nov 30, 2011

You don't say what kind of grounding you already have in human biology, reproductive biology, and the biology and psychology of sex and gender. Without a solid understanding of those areas, you may struggle to put information you find on the net into context.

Start with books. Ask your local librarian to recommend ones that go beyond what you already know.

Deleted member 42 · Nov 30, 2011

You'd want to research hermaphrodites, born with both penis/testes and vagina/ovaries. In

Generally, intersexed folk and medical professionals avoid the word hermaphrodite at all costs; it's not accurate and it has enormous potential to hurt.

This is a PSA in general.

Maryn · Nov 30, 2011

Thanks. I've not known such a person in person. My apologies to any offended by my use of it here.

Maryn, not quite too old to learn, but nudging the border

intesex condition

doomwdfortune

Maryn

Baaa!

Howl at the Sun

Wolf in Coyote's Clothing

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

Becca_H

Where am I again?

Mac H.

Board Visitor

LianneSimon

A Christian writing about intersex

Buffysquirrel

Deleted member 42

Maryn

Baaa!