WHAT IS SEX?
What is Sex?
When thinking about human sexuality, I begin with the textbook definition of sex according to Merriam-Webster:
“either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and that are distinguished respectively as female or male especially on the basis of their reproductive organs and structures”
Merriam-Webster describes sex as being either male or female, overlooking a third biological expression of human sexuality—intersex. A small percentage, perhaps one or two in one hundred, are born with intersex characteristics that do not fit textbook definitions of male or female. This is often the result of an inborn excess or deficiency of sex hormones. Stephanie Dutchen of Harvard Medicine elaborates on intersex variations in her article, The Body, The Self:
“An otherwise healthy baby is born with a phallus that seems small for a penis but big for a clitoris. The labia are partially fused so that they resemble a scrotum. A young girl complains of abdominal tenderness. An exam for a suspected inguinal hernia instead finds a pair of undescended testes. A teen raised as a male comes to the doctor bleeding from his penis. An ultrasound reveals that a previously undetected uterus has shed its lining through the urethra: he’s experiencing his first period.”
MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, describes four intersex conditions:
The person has the XX sex chromosomes of a woman but external genitalia that appear male
The person has XY sex chromosomes of a man but the genitals are ambiguous or clearly female
The person has both ovarian and testicular tissue with both XX and XY chromosomes
The person has only one X chromosome or an extra sex chromosome XXY XXX.
Intersex presentations are generally the exception, not the rule. Dutchen makes a case for avoiding pathologizing language when referring to differences of sexual development.
“Many of the intersex people who have spoken publicly about their experiences express anger and anguish at not having been involved in major decisions about their bodies, especially when procedures resulted in infertility or in altered or “wrong” genitalia.”
Most importantly, the spectrum of chromosomal possibilities can be described in non pathological terms, such that those who experience deviations from the norm can live a fulfilling healthy life, free from the stigma of being in a minority.
Sex and the Cell
The vast majority of humans are born chromosomally male or female, with matching anatomical features. This male or female chromosomal signature is embedded in the nucleus of every cell in our body. Lung, heart, brain, liver, kidney, skin cells are chromosomally coded male or female. With the exception of red blood cells, every cell in our body has an inborn sexual signature. Sexual assignment for each cell begins at conception, with spermatic fertilization of the egg.
Internal and external genitalia is the expression of an organ system. The DNA program inside of each cell provides an embryonic set of instructions that drive the migratory patterns of our primitive sex cords to form organs of reproduction. Even though there is no morphological difference between the sexes until the sixth week of embryonic life, sexual determination and gene expression is predetermined inside each cell. The fate of gonadal primitive germ cells follows a chromosomal preordained set of instructions to become an ovary or testicle. This sexual expression is pervasive in all cells, not just the cells that make up the organs of reproduction. Until the ninth week, external genitalia are identical in both sexes.
All of our cells express a sexual signature. This deeply embedded chromosomal aspect of human sexuality is often overlooked. The general consensus is that sexuality is a function of what we see: genitalia, body hair, gait, proportions, vocal intonation.
Another way of looking at sexuality is to recognize the inborn chromosomal signature as an indication of sexuality. Chromosomal confirmation biomarkers eliminate sexual ambiguity, and acknowledge the presence of any underlying chromosomal indicators, such as Klinefelter syndrome.
Klinefelter syndrome XXY is among the most common chromosomal deviations, affecting about 1 in 500 newborn boys. In many cases, the features are so mild that seventy five percent of affected men are never diagnosed. MedlinePlus describes individuals with Klinefelter syndrome as prone to anxiety, depression, ADHD and autism:
“Affected boys often have learning disabilities, resulting in mild delays in speech and language development and problems with reading. Boys and men with Klinefelter syndrome tend to have better receptive language skills (the ability to understand speech) than expressive language skills (vocabulary and the production of speech) and may have difficulty communicating and expressing themselves.”
Many medical problems present with an underlying genetic code that may help provide an explanation for human behavior. A proper diagnosis can go a long way to alleviate uncertainty, and lead to a greater understanding of the human condition. If human sexuality is a bell curve, those at the extremes of the curve can be described without the stigma of pathological implications. Deviation from the standard can be thought of as an asset, assuming that presentation is not life threatening.
What is gender?
Gender, unlike sex, can be defined as:
“the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex”
Merriam-Webster goes on to describe gender identity as:
“A person’s internal sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female”
If sex can be described as an inborn distribution of sex chromosomes, gender can be described as a way of being, a performative act of human behavior within the boundaries of our collective time and space. Nudity makes apparent male and female attributes. In addition to establishing a cultural signature, clothing provides protection from the elements, safety, sanitation, identification, status, decoration and gender expression.
Making love, making a connection
Conventional acts of procreation feature the functionality of the genital apparatus as it concerns the perpetuation of the species. If every cell is coded for sex, then all sensory stimulation has a sexual component. Some believe that sex is between the ears, or that sex is a matter of heart. Sex is everywhere, all at once. In vitro fertilization, artificial insemination and contributions from experts in fertility, widen the possibilities of human, non-human and hybrid reproduction.
Beatriz Preciado in Testo Junkie describes the power of a technogender intervention:
“The process of normalization (assignment, reassignment) that could be accomplished only by discursive or photographic representation in the past is now inscribed within the very structure of the living being by surgical, endocrinological, and even genetic techniques.”
The decision not to procreate is a viable lifestyle. Genital and non-genital recreational pleasure-seeking through stimulation is also an important aspect of a healthy bioenergetic way of life. Nutrition, exercise and mental health are the keys to nature’s pharmacy.
I don’t make a distinction between gender identity and human identity. Behavior, appearance, performance, costuming, are acts of individual expression. Gender identity is a function of cultural context with societal norms and expectations. The decision to conform or not to conform is as individual as one’s fingerprint.
Hormonal and surgical interventions are often irreversible, and must be carefully thought out as a therapeutic modality. Surgical technology is in its infancy and many procedures are equivalent to genital mutilation, leaving the patient neurologically impaired for life.
With the sophistication of gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy, one can alter the appearance and performance of the body. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. What we do today may satisfy our immediate hunger, but leave us unprepared for the years that lie ahead.