Can We Tell Sex at Birth?
Be informed
I attended a meeting of chiropractors last night. The speaker said that it used to be that a baby was born and the doctor just looked and could tell immediately what sex the baby was. It was a bit of a poke at the gender arguments that we have today.
I’ll admit to having at least thought the same thing. Not sure if I’ve actually made that comment or not. However, I did more research and what I learned changed my thinking.
According to an article from Cleveland Clinic, “People who are intersex have genitals, chromosomes or reproductive organs that don’t fit into a male/female sex binary. Their genitals might not match their reproductive organs, or they may have traits of both. Being intersex may be evident at birth, childhood, later in adulthood or never. Being intersex isn’t a disorder, disease or condition.”
The article further states that people may not know that their internal organs don’t match their external genitals until surgery or imaging. The appropriate term is intersex and affects about 1% of the population.
What causes people to be intersex? Although there is some speculation, including changes in genetics and hormones affecting the embryo, the cause is unknown.
How does being intersex affect people? Cleveland Clinic states that there can be about 40 different ways intersex presents itself. However, it only talks about two ways. One is a change in chromosomes. The XX pair is female. The intersex person may have one X, or some cells that are XX and some that are XY, or XXY. There can be other combinations. The second difference that may appear is a person with both male and female tissue. A person could have a penis and be assigned male at birth and have ovaries. A person could have a penis at birth and be producing hormones (estrogen) like females.
The key takeaway from this article is that it is very easy to make assumptions based on our previous experience. We do it all the time. Some are using their assumptions to create polarization and strife. They don’t seek truth. They seek financial gain or power. I’ve heard them on the radio or running for office.
In my colleagues’ case, it is just a matter of doing a little more research. We must challenge our previous beliefs and be willing to make new decisions based on new data.
Action for you: If you have felt strongly about the issue of determining sex at birth, I encourage you to read the Cleveland Clinic article and think about it. As always, make the pursuit of truth your mission.