Providing a
fascinating look at the science of sex and what makes people male or
female, this book explains the science of intersex conditions—such
as hermaphroditism, Klinefelter syndrome, and androgen insensitivity
syndrome—and includes personal interviews with people 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. There are babies born XYY, XXX, or with any dozen or
more known variations in the X or Y chromosomes. The history of
intersex conditions as well as the options that are available today
for the ambiguous child are covered in this captivating account.