[coloradan]

What is the Catholic position on hermaphrodites? (People who have both kinds of genitalia?)

[al baby]

"People who have both kinds of genitalia?)"

Brings new meaning to the old saying "Go screw yourself"

[Maelstorm]

That is an entirely different thing. I’m not sure about Catholics but I imagine most Doctors would support sex reassignment at birth in those cases which works for most but there are some cases where it does not. It is not the same thing of course. Some one mentally deciding they want to be a woman or vice versa is not the same thing.

[chris_bdba]

I believe it is that they test the child, find out which sex it truely is then medically treat the child that way.

[Dr. Sivana]

What is the Catholic position on hermaphrodites? (People who have both kinds of genitalia?)

Usually, hermaphrodites lean more towards one sex than the other. In those cases, assuming that the DNA is not determinative (e.g. XX/XY), it should be okay to remove the less dominant organs, and to use hormones as necessary.

A more difficult situation would be someone who has AIS (androgen insensitivity syndrome). This would be someone who has XY, but cannot deal with male hormone in any way. This condition is considered intersex, but the person with that condition would pretty much look and act like an ordinary woman (despite the lack of ovaries), barring a real serious gynecological exam. I do not know if the church has taken a stand on such cases, except that such a person could never be a husband or ordained.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“What is the Catholic position on hermaphrodites? (People who have both kinds of genitalia?)”

What does that question even mean? Why would you assume the Church has a position on a genetic abnormality?

[Westbrook]

> What is the Catholic position on hermaphrodites? (People
> who have both kinds of genitalia?)

Let’s try the logical, unemotional approach to “hermaphrodites”.

First of all, there is NO SUCH THING as a genetic “hermaphrodite”.

One either has Male Chromosomes or Female Chromosomes.

That’s it.

That the genitalia may not be properly developed, in some extremely rare cases, is a medical matter that can be addressed, once the chromasome makeup has been determined.

[Scotswife]

I’ve never seen an official catholic “position” regarding this, but have read that one set of organs is dominant.
They also conduct genetic testing to confirm what the person’s dna says they are “supposed” to be - and then proceed from there.