This includes facial hair, breast tissue, and vocal range.īecause of this, they’re often used to make quick assessments about sex.īut secondary sex characteristics vary greatly, regardless of whether someone identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth. Many secondary sex characteristics are easily identifiable. Estradiol plays a significant role in sexual arousal, sperm production, and erectile function.Īlthough hormone replacement therapy is an option for trans and gender non-conforming people, a trans man who isn’t on hormones, for example, isn’t any less male than one who is. In fact, estradiol, the predominant form of estrogen, is critical to sexual function for people who were assigned male at birth. It’s important to understand that every person has both of these hormones. We tend to associate a predominance of estrogen with females and a predominance of testosterone with males. A transgender woman, for example, can be female but still have XY chromosomes. It also doesn’t account for the fact that trans people often have chromosomes that don’t “match” their sex. This excludes folks with a DSD who may have different chromosomal configurations or other differences in sexual development. We’re typically taught that people with XX chromosomes are female and people with XY chromosomes are male. It can also invalidate trans people who are non-operative - those who don’t want to have bottom surgery - or pre-operative.įor example, a transgender man - a person who was assigned female at birth and identifies as a man - may have a vagina but still identify as male. However, this definition excludes some people with a DSD. Some believe genitals determine sex, with males having penises and females having vaginas. With some research reporting that as many as 1 in 100 people are born with a DSD, more biologists are acknowledging that sex may be far more complex than what the traditional male-female binary accounts for. Others have moved away from using this term and refer to their condition as a DSD. Some people are comfortable with the term “intersex” and use it to describe themselves. You may also be familiar with the fact that some people are intersex, or have a difference of sexual development (DSD).ĭSD is used to describe chromosomes, anatomy, or sex characteristics that can’t be categorized as exclusively male or female.Īs with names and pronouns, it’s important to refer to people in the manner that they prefer. Society typically tells us that there are two sexes: male and female.
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