Intersexuality: Male and Xx Intersex Essay

Intersex deconstructs the standard of male and female and reveals a discrepancy between external and internal genitals. XX and XY is a neat explanation and common occurrence in human biology. Intersexuality on the other hand is the opposite. It becomes an unsettling topic because it goes off on a tangent. What is intersex? How common is intersex? What kinds of intersex conditions are there? How are intersex patients treated and approached? Why haven’t many people heard of intersex? Fuentes states that humans have long exhibited biological diversity. To discuss diversity it is important to “establish a framework of comparison.” (Fuentes, 300) Variation can be described in four different levels of variation:

“ The first level is the variation that exists in our species as a whole. The second is the variation across major geographic regions in which members of our species exist. The third is the variation between populations within regions, and the fourth is the variation within single populations.” (Relethford, 2002)

Gathering information for patterns of variation specifically concerning intersexuality will turn out to be a mind boggling endeavor. Even if I used the above framework as a guide it’ll expand into a monstrous research of variation within variation.
Augustin Fuentes mentions the basics of human development. He concisely illustrates how: “All of our physiological systems are integrated to provide support, nutrition, regulation, and coordination for our every movement, breath, and behavior.” (Fuentes, 65)
Human beings have sets of organs designed to produce gametes (sperm and ova). Fuentes briefly explained how male and female share similar structures but different functions. It suggests an attempt at bridging a gap between the two. I’ve read and reread chapters and realized how necessity has resulted in external differences. Male and female reproductive tracts are generated from the same tissue masses at about six weeks after fertilization. The tissue masses are the same during embryonic development and the structural similarities remain. For example males have nipples but not the ability to lactate because unlike females they haven't the need to develop mammary glands. The presence of a uterus and mammary glands is necessary in females because they give birth and lactate. Why haven’t many heard of intersexuality? The way I can describe the mistaken information of intersex is by likening it to a rumor thats spread and sticks in the collective minds of people. The unchanging information passes on to the next person. Blocking any new information from deconstructing and reconstructing. Strangely these ideas are treated as irrefutable facts. I think the romanticism of what a hermaphrodite represents is why it remains popular. There is a represented duality and access that makes it intriguing. It’s a fusion of two greek gods: Hermes god of male masculinity and Aphrodite goddess of female sexuality, beauty and love. Somehow all of that is becomes unnerving and not normal. What is intersex? Intersex is not considered a synonym for

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