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Bodies and Gender: Understanding Biological Sex As Continuum, Not A Dichotomy of Male and Female
Bodies and Gender: Understanding Biological Sex As Continuum, Not A Dichotomy of Male and Female
Most societies think there are only two genders that people identify
with, either male or female. This belief is called the gender binary.
Most societies also have expectations and stereotypes about gender
based on someone’s assigned sex. Like expecting males to be “tough”
and females to be “gentle”. These gender expectations can affect a
person’s social, work and legal rights.
It’s
easy to confuse sex and gender. Just remember that biological or
assigned sex is about biology, anatomy, and chromosomes. Gender is
society’s set of expectations, standards, and characteristics about how
men and women are supposed to act.
SEX
Assigned sex is a label that you’re given at birth based on medical factors,
including your hormones, chromosomes, and genitals. Most people are
assigned male or female, and this is what’s put on their birth certificates.
When someone’s sexual and reproductive anatomy doesn’t seem to fit the
typical definitions of female or male, they may be described as intersex.
Some people call the sex we’re assigned at birth “biological sex.” But this
term doesn’t fully capture the complex biological, anatomical, and
chromosomal variations that can occur. Having only two options
(biological male or biological female) might not describe what’s going on
inside a person’s body.
BIOLOGY
Chromosomes, Hormones, Gonads and Genitals.
Its estimated that nearly 2% of live births are born with
Congenital Conditions of Atypical Sex Development.