acronym of assigned female at birth.

acronym of Assigned Male at Birth.

a term typically used by medical practitioners to describe the genitals of intersex infants whose genitalia do not appear as ‘typically’ either male or female. Such an example would be genitalia that are not “completely developed”, or display characteristics of both male and female anatomies. Considered a “disorder of sex development” in medical terminology.

People with “ambiguous genitalia” may have other intersex variations that aren’t immediately apparent; similarly, those without “ambiguous genitalia” may possess other intersex variations.

A pressing human rights issue in this regard is so-called “corrective surgery” which seeks to cosmetically alter an infant’s genitalia or physical anatomy without their consent to “normalise” their intersex variations.

“Ambiguous genitalia”, like “disorder of sex development”, are terms that are considered problematic and rejected by many intersex people.

An individual who was assigned the sex of female at birth. Typically used by transgender and nonbinary individuals to describe their ‘birth sex‘.

For example, a trans man may be known on their medical records as being assigned female at birth, or describe themselves as such – that is, when they were born, they were identified as being ‘female’.

Intersex individuals may also use the term to describe the birth sex that was assigned to them, although it should also be noted that intersex individuals do not necessarily identify differently to their sex assigned at birth.

An individual who was assigned the sex of male at birth. Typically used by transgender and nonbinary individuals to describe their ‘birth sex‘.

For example, a trans woman may be known on their medical records as being assigned male at birth, or describe themselves as such – that is, when they were born, they were identified as being ‘male’.

Intersex individuals may also use the term to describe the birth sex that was assigned to them, although it should also be noted that intersex individuals do not necessarily identify differently to their sex assigned at birth.

a medical term used to refer to the chromosomal, hormonal and/or anatomical characteristics used to classify and designate a sex of an individual – typically male or female.

An alternative to biological sex.

an initialism for coercively assigned female at birth.

an initialism for coercively assigned male at birth.

a term used by some intersex people to describe being assigned female at birth, with the added implication that this happened without their consent to erase their intersex status and/or identity, such as through “corrective surgery“.

a term used by some intersex people to describe being assigned male at birth, with the added implication that this happened without their consent to erase their intersex status and/or identity, such as through “corrective surgery“.

simply put, consent is the act of giving permission, voluntarily, to the proposals or desires of another human being. A primary example of consent is the permission given between two or more individuals to engage in physically intimate behaviour with each other. Without consent, such acts are rape.

Both legally, and morally, consent can be subject to outside influences and legislation; for example, although a person under a certain age may give their permission, the law may determine that they are too young to consent (as they have not yet reached the age of consent). It is important to note, too, that permission given after coercion (that is by force or threat, or through manipulation or emotional blackmail), is not consent.

In Queer contexts, consent has an important role in Queer history and modern-day rights issues facing the Queer community.

Particularly in regards to sexuality, the age of consent has been a pressing LGBTQIA+ rights issue, as many countries and states have differing ages of consent for heterosexual and homosexual acts.

Various acts related to “conversion therapy“, particularly those performed on people under the age of eighteen who may be homosexual, bisexual+, asexual or transgender, have also come into the spotlight as a human rights issue, particularly as individuals may be there against their will or due to coercion (that is, without consent).

Consent is a particularly prevalent rights issue regarding intersex individuals, as often infants with an intersex variation may have been victim to “corrective surgery” – where no consent from the individual themselves could possibly have been given for surgery that is cosmetic or unnecessarily, rather than medically required.

Consent laws, particularly surrounding age, have become issues regarding to transgender youth, as seeking medical therapies to navigate their transgender identity may be subject to the permission of their parents, leading to discussions about what ages are appropriate for certain medical, non-surgical therapies (e.g. hormone therapy).

Informed consent is also an important factor to consent: that is, for consent to be given, one must be fully informed of the circumstances, consequences and conditions of the activity in which consent is given. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to accessing medical treatments.

in Queer contexts, this refers to the practice of “correcting” babies and toddlers with intersex variations with medical interventions. Although sometimes such interventions may be necessary (for example, to prevent or reduce future health problems, such as to improve urinary or faecal continence), many are controversial and seek to erase the intersex variations altogether; for example, to make the appearance of ambiguous genitalia more akin to what is typical for males and females. As such, corrective surgery in this regard refers to the cosmetic surgeries performed on infants without their consent, and as such considered an act of interphobia as it considers those with intersex variations to be in need of normalisation.

Increasingly, the practice has come under intense scrutiny – with many countries such as Malta banning the practice of non-consensual cosmetic medical interventions – and the practice being considered a human rights issue. The Council of Europe in 2015 recognised the right for intersex individuals to not undergo sex assignment treatment.

Corrective surgery should not be confused with gender reassignment surgery that takes place on consenting, transgender individuals.

the sex assigned at birth; that is, typically, male or female.

medical terminology for the wide variety of intersex variations, although the terminology is fast becoming questioned and debated as inappropriate, particularly as it may suggest something that needs ‘correcting’ (such as through corrective surgery).

shorthand for designated sex at birth.

an individual who is not intersex/does not have an intersex variation. Put simply, an individual whose sex characteristics meet medical or social norms for ‘male‘ and ‘female‘ bodies.

an outdated term for an individual who has an intersex variation, typically someone born with the physical characteristics of both men and women, specifically in relation to the genitals and breasts.

In reproductive biology, hermaphrodite is used to describe fauna and flora that has both kinds of reproductive organs, and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes – such as those which do not have separate sexes.

a recognised third-gender on the Indian subcontinent, comprised of people who are either eunucs, intersex or transgender. The Hijra go by many other names depending on the language, with a well-documented history.

Many Hijra face discrimination, and during the time of the British Raj (when the Indian subcontinent was colonialised by the British), many Hijra faced persecution and prosecution.

Hijra, as a term, is sometimes rejected by the people it describes in favour of other terms – but nonetheless, it is a cultural term that shouldn’t be applied to, or used by, people outside of that culture.

The range of negative attitudes, intolerance and resentment towards intersex people and people with intersex variations; this may lead to and include intersex erasure and the practice known as “corrective surgery” performed on infants to “normalise” intersex bodies.

Somebody who possesses such beliefs and attitudes can be described as interphobic (or intersexphobic).

Alternate: intersexphobia

somebody whose beliefs and actions display interphobia; actions or beliefs that are hostile or discriminatory towards intersex people/people with intersex variations.

an umbrella term for individuals that are born with sexual, reproductive, anatomical or chromosomal traits that are outside of the “typical” male/female sex binary. There is a wide range of intersex variations (previously referred to as ‘disorders of sex development‘). 

Individuals with intersex variations have been forced into becoming “anatomically correct” (that is, “typical” by social and medical standards) males or females through invasive, “corrective surgeries“ as infants; for example, surgeries on their genitals to give the appearance typical of men and women. Increasingly, governments across the world are making corrective surgery illegal.

People that have intersex variations have diverse gender identities and sexualities – that is, an intersex individual’s gender or sexual orientation exists distinct from their intersex status. Like endosex people, there are many cisgender and heterosexual individuals, as well as people with intersex variations who identify as being Queer in their gender or sexuality.

the acts and attitudes of ignoring, removing or falsifying intersex people and people with intersex variations and their identity. In its most extreme form, it could be the belief that intersex identity is non-existent, and that people with intersex variations are biological dysfunctions that need “correcting” and “normalising” (e.g. through “corrective surgery“).

Intersex erasure has been commonplace both in society and in the medical community, where the bodies of infant people with intersex variations have been cosmetically altered through surgery to “normalise” their appearance and bodies, rather than to allow intersex individuals agency over their own bodies and identities.

In more subtle forms, intersex erasure could be the act of propagating myths and stereotypes about intersex individuals.

Although it may not involve overt antagonism, intersex erasure is often the result of interphobia. The invisibility and misconceptions of intersex identities, people and topics has a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of individuals with intersex variations.

an alternate term for interphobia, that is, the range of negative attitudes, intolerance and resentment towards intersex people and people with intersex variations.

alternate term for interphobic.

An initialism for sex assigned at birth.

an acronym for sex coercively assigned at birth.

The sex assigned to an individual when born; that is, typically, male or female as it may appear on one’s birth certificate.

A transgender individual is somebody who identifies their gender differently to their sex assigned at birth. By comparison, someone whose sex assigned at birth is the same as their gender (that is, their sex and gender are aligned) is considered cisgender.

It should be noted, however, that medical professionals are increasingly recognising those born with intersex variations, and may mark documents such as birth certificates as ‘X’ or ‘indeterminate’ – however, this should not be taken to mean that all people with intersex variations are of an indeterminate sex: it is common for intersex people to identify with their sex assigned at birth (male or female). A further issue presented in regards to people with intersex variations and sex assigned at birth is the issue of so-called ‘corrective surgery‘, in which medical practitioners conduct unnecessary, often cosmetic, surgery on intersex infants to ‘normalise’ their bodies to look more typically male or female.

Also known as designated sex at birth (DSAB), sex coercively assigned at birth (SCAB).

Related: assigned male at birth (AMAB), assigned female at birth (AFAB).

also known as the gender binary or binary sex; it is the idea that there is only two genders (related to sex) that are male and female, and that everyone is either one or the other. Heavily disputed.

the wide variety of characteristics, predominantly physical, but also behavioural, which provide indicators of one’s biological sex. Endosex individuals have sex characteristics typical of either males or females, whereas intersex individuals (that is, people with intersex variations) may have any number of sex characteristics which may not be identifiable as “typical” for males and females, or possess sex characteristics which are “typically” not all-male or all-female; that is, they may have, for example, a majority of “typical” female sex characteristics, but one or more “typical” male sex characteristics.

The use of the word “typical” or “usual” is important in this respect, because sex characteristics are based on exactly that; there are endosex individuals who may not possess a particular sex characteristic; this does not necessarily make them intersex, nor does it mean they are not men or women.

Sex characteristics are typically defined as “primary” and “secondary”, with “primary” sex characteristics being those an individual are born with, and “secondary” sex characteristics occurring during puberty. Primary sex characteristics can be further divided into relating to gonads, chromosomes, sex hormones, internal and external genitalia, and secondary sex characteristics relating to typical physical features.

Our current definitions of typical sex characteristics is based on what is immediately visible, or what has been determined through the use of medical technology (e.g. chromosomes); there could be other sex characteristics typical of men and women which are yet to be defined, and there are sex characteristics which are typical which are not essential: for example, one example of a sex characteristic typical in men is a deeper voice that develops in puberty – it does not mean a deeper voice is essential for being a man, nor that a woman who possesses a deep voice is therefore a man.

The wide variety of “typical” or usual sex characteristics which are to be considered in biological sex has began to be seen in many scientific circles as being on a spectrum, rather than on a simplistic binary, and distinct from constructs of gender, although related.

often initialised to SCAB, it refers to the sex assigned at birth, and sometimes used by intersex people to refer to one of the two biological sexes they were forced into adopting at birth.

The term is very specific to intersex people, because it relates to the coercion they faced as infants, such as having to undergo “corrective surgery” in order to appear as a “normal” man or woman – in part to erase their intersex status.