Replies

Mental Illness is an illness, and maybe God did create that. But this nonsense about "sexual identity" is BS.. Look down the front of your pants, the answer should be obivous. Sexual Orientation is a matter of choice. Sexual Identity is not. Nice Try.

Sexual Orientation is a matter of choice.

Are you saying that you could choose to be attracted to persons of the same gender if you wanted to? Try doing it for 24 hours -- don't worry about acting on the attraction, just try to have the attraction.

Sexual Identity is not.

What medical credentials do you have that enables you to make such a statement?

That's pretty simple for me. I see a penis. Fortunately, I'm also sexually attracted to (some) females so I'm certainly male.

However, there are those born with both sets of equipment and I'm sure they'd find it a little more difficult to determine which gender they are. I'm guessing here, but I imagine that most of those people would align themselves more with whichever gender they hold a weaker sexual attraction for.

Then you've got the people who you think "it should be obvious," the only problem with your assertion is that it either wasn't obvious to that person or it was obvious but not because of physical characteristics but rather emotional and psychological ones.

We were all the same gender when we started out and the only difference is that some of us have a Y chromosome and some of us don't. But you know something, there are rare occasions where someone will be born as a female even though they have a Y chromosome and there are even rarer occasions when a those without a Y will be born resembling a male. There are also occasional male calico cats, but they are always sterile. The problem is that the whole system is imperfect. Whenever there's an imperfect system it leads to questions of what's "obvious" and what isn't.

Look down the front of your pants, the answer should be obivous.

For some people, this is apparently not the case. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001180.htm

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Testicular feminization

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Causes and risks Symptoms	Signs and tests Treatment Prognosis Complications Call your health care provider if

Illustrations

Male reproductive anatomy

Alternative names Return to topAndrogen insensitivity syndrome

Definition Return to top

A syndrome found in a person who has X,Y chromosomes, but who is resistant to androgens (male hormones). As a result, the individual has the physical characteristics of a female.

Causes and risks Return to top

The syndrome is caused by various genetic mutations on the X chromosome. The mutations make a developing male baby unable to respond to androgens. (Androgens are responsible for male physical characteristics.) This prevents the development of the penis and other male body parts. The child is born appearing to be a girl.

At puberty, female secondary sex characteristics (e.g., breasts) develop, but menstruation and fertility do not.

Symptoms Return to top

In its classic form (complete androgen resistance), the person appears to be female but has no uterus, and has sparse armpit and pubic hair. Some people with this condition are not diagnosed until they try to become pregnant and find that they are infertile.

Sometimes only partial resistance to androgens occurs. In these cases, a person may have both male and female physical characteristics, or sometimes just a low sperm count.

Signs and tests Return to top

Signs may include:

small clitoris and labia minora
vagina present but no cervix or uterus
normal female breast development
testes in the inguinal canal, labia, or abdomen
inguinal hernia with palpable gonad

Tests:

Testosterone levels -- in the male range
Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels -- high
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels -- normal
Sonogram -- shows an absent uterus or an intra-abdominal testes
Androgen receptor studies (research setting) may confirm the syndrome

Tests which may distinguish androgen resistance from androgen deficiency (or 5-alpha reductase deficiency):

Increased basal and hCG-induced testosterone
Normal dihydrotestosterone

Treatment Return to top

Treatment may include:

Removal of testicular tissue (which can become cancerous in 5 to 20% of cases after puberty)
Estrogen replacement after puberty
Support of gender identity

Prognosis Return to topThe outlook is good if at-risk testicular tissue is removed.

Complications Return to topComplications include testicular cancer and infertility.

Call your health care provider if Return to topCall your health care provider if you have any signs or symptoms suggestive of the syndrome.

Update Date: 9/15/2001

Updated by: Sheila Feit, M.D., Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Copyright 2000 adam.com, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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Last updated: 3 October 2001