More than Two Sexes

Essay # 3217

Biology > Genetics
Gender and Sexuality > Theories of Gender
Gender and Sexuality > Transgender

More than Two Sexes

This paper explains that although Western culture recognizes only two sexes, other sexes exist as well.

1,830 words () | 2 sources | 2001 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the possibilities of more than two sexes from a biological and sociological viewpoint. The paper points out the problems faced by those who do not fit into the two sex definition.

From the Paper:

"The definition of intersexuality sets a basis to be able to group Sterling's "five sexes" into their own subgroups. The standard medical definition of intersexuality or intersex refers to the three major subgroups with some mixture of male and female characteristics, which include: the "herms," "ferms," and "merms." The hermaphrodites or "herms," posses one testis and one ovary, the productive gonads. In some cases, with the true hermaphrodites, the testis and ovary grow separately but bilaterally. In other people, they grow together within the same organ, forming an ovo-testis. "Usually the sperm cells or eggs function quite well, along with the production of sex hormones such as: estrogen and androgen." (Taylor 99-101)"