The binary system of identification between sexes has existed since the dawn of man. But sometimes there is an abnormality that bucks the system, sending the medical community and society into a frenzy resulting in a barrage of difficult questions.
The child born into this condition is labeled intersex. An intersexual child is an individual whose chromosomes, genitalia or internal reproductive system is not considered to be standard for a male or female, said Brett Beemyn, coordinator of the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services.
Wednesday the group celebrated the second consecutive Intersex Awareness Day.
The day is designed to educate the public of intersexual individuals, Beemyn said. Society is unaware of intersex people, he said. Sometimes even the intersex individual might not know it until years after birth.
"A lot of times people don't know because they may have chromosomes that are XXY as opposed to XY and (that) may play out in different ways," he said. "They may not grow the standard secondary sex characteristics when they reach puberty. If the individual was thought to be a male, he may not grow facial hair or the female may grow facial hair or she may not have her period."
Rachel Andrews, an intersex individual herself, spoke at the Multicultural Center on the fourth floor of the Ohio Union Wednesday night to heighten awareness about the intersex community.
One in about 2000 births produces an intersex child, she said.
"Everyone started out as female. Some made a left turn and turned male," she said. "There are some things that can go wrong along the pathways such as genetic variances or an excess or not enough chromosomes."
When an intersex child is born they will sometimes show traits of both genders, she said.
"Sometimes when a child is born it will look like a male on the outside but will have the internal reproductive system of a female," she said.
Often doctors will immediately assign a gender to child and perform surgery on it to "normalize" it, Andrews said.
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