Between XX and XY Intersexuality and the Myth of Two Sexes

by Callahan, Gerald N.

• ISBN13: 9781556527852
• ISBN10: 1556527853
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-07-01
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Summary

Providing a fascinating look at the science of sex and what makes people male or female, this book explains dozens of intersex conditionssuch as hermaphroditism, Klinefelter syndrome, and androgen insensitivity syndromeand includes personal interviews with people living with these conditions telling their surprising and often heart-wrenching stories. Even doctors and scientists are not entirely sure if external genitalia, internal sex organs, chromosomes, DNA, environment, or some combination define a person's sex, but this examination shows that sex is not an either-or proposition: not girl/boy, XX/XYthere are babies born XYY, XXX, or with any dozen or more known variations in the X or Y chromosomes. The history and the current treatment for intersex conditions as well as the options that are available today for the ambiguous child are covered in this captivating account that truly shows what it means to be human.

Author Biography

Gerald N. Callahan, PhD, is an author and an immunologist/pathologist with more than 30 years of experience in biomedical research. He is the author of Infection: The Uninvited Universe and Faith, Madness, and Spontaneous Combustion. He is currently an associate professor at Colorado State University. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. ix
The Puzzle of Intersex: The Story of Lenore	p. 1
A Brief History of Sex	p. 9
Sex Versus Reproduction: Why Are We So Married to the Idea of Two Sexes?	p. 33
Where Our Sexes Come From: The Abridged Version	p. 47
Where Our Sexes Come From: The Rest of the Story	p. 59
What We Do About the Ambiguous Child	p. 115
Outcomes: Sex, Surgery, and Satisfaction	p. 127
Alternatives: Other Cultures, Other Sexes	p. 143
Choices: Exploring the Options	p. 155
Epilogue: Untying the Knot	p. 161
Endnotes	p. 165
Glossary	p. 175
Resources	p. 183
Index	p. 187
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