Intersex, Transgender and Gender Identity Issues

Human sex, the act or process of human sex or sexual intercourse, is the way in which people experience and express themselves sexually. People engage in various sexual acts, ranging from simple acts done by individuals to more complex acts involving another human being at varying ranges of intensity, for various reasons. For most people sex and love go together, whereas some others feel that they are capable of giving satisfaction to their partners in other ways than engaging in sexual activities. The main difference between sex and love is that sex involves the physical release of sexual tension and love is related with emotional satisfaction.

The study of human sexuality has revealed that there are several kinds of overlapping gender identities. These include but are not limited to male and female, both/both, intersex and heterosexuality, among others. In recent years these identity factors have started to change due to social and cultural pressure and attitudes towards same-sex sexual behaviors and identities.

Sex and love are not identical terms and their meaning varies according to different aspects. On one end, sex refers to the physical process while love is a relational concept. In essence, however, sex refers to the physiological features of the body whereas love pertains to the interpersonal and romantic relationships related with the body. Similarly, sex refers to the ability of humans to procreate while love is related to the ability of humans to enjoy affection. It should be noted that although people tend to refer to these concepts in similar ways, the two concepts have a long way to go before they become synonymous.

In addition to these two concepts, there exists another related concept, that of the primary sex, which refers to the person whose hormones are responsible for the development of the secondary sex characteristics. This person is usually born with the primary sex characteristics but may later develop the secondary sex characteristics due to various factors. People may carry the X or Y chromosome depending on the genetic imprint from their parents. These individuals are referred to as the intersex. Intersex persons are distinguished from the usual sex because their bodies exhibit several characteristics of both the sexes, namely, the obvious difference in genitalia, breasts and other secondary sex characteristics.

Some people often refer to these intersexed people as intersex infants, though this is rarely the case, especially when this person was not born with the characteristics of both the sexes. Those who were born intersexed can still choose a desired gender identity, though they often have to live with the consequences of their original birth choices. Due to social and cultural pressures, many intersexed people often present both genders, even though at birth they might have preferred to have been born with one sex.

Transgender, or gender identity disorder, is a much greater concern. Those who present themselves as, or wish to be, members of the transgender community face a great deal of discrimination and harassment. Some have been threatened with violence. Some have been fired from their jobs or told that they cannot live with their chosen gender identity. When undergoing medical treatments to change their physical characteristics, they risk the same harassment and discrimination that those who present as members of the transgender community face, so it is imperative that they seek help when considering their options.