Pseudohermaphroditism

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Main article: Intersex

Pseudohermaphroditism or psuedo-hermaphroditism, is a name used to describe the fact that some people are born with external sex organs that look intermediate between the typical vagina or penis (see diagram). The term was adopted to distinguish between these people, who have normal testes or ovaries, and "true" hermaphrodites, who do not. It is also used for a range of other rare human conditions. The term psuedohermaphroditism is now restricted to the technical literature, having been replaced by intersex in most public discussion.

The inadequency of the term outside technical descriptions can be demostrated by many examples, but a simple one is the case of women with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS). These women typically have primary and secondary sexual characteristics typical of other women, however they are genetically XY and have internal testes, rather than ovaries. They often marry but cannot have children. However scientifically precise the description of "male psuedohermaphrodite" may be for such women, it is clearly completely socially inappropriate. CAIS is hardly much better, most intersex conditions are normal (if rare) human conditions, which is not helped by being classed as a "syndrome".

John Money is perhaps the best known early researcher in this area. His doctoral thesis was titled Hermaphroditism: An Inquiry into the Nature of a Human Paradox, and awarded by Harvard University in 1952. Money was forced to change his mind about several of his early views in the course of his career (see main entry David Reimer). Milton Diamond has probably become the best known expert public advocate for the intersex community in the early 21st century. He is the director of the Pacific Center for Sex and Society.