Sex, Gender and Gender Identity

Question 1

What is sex judged on?

Answer 1

Genital appearance at birth, internal reproductive organs, skeletal characteristics and musculature.

Question 2

Describe the number of biological sexes that are proposed?

Answer 2

1) Males,
2) Females,
3) Herma (true hermaphrodites)
4) Merms (male psudohermaphrodites - no ovaries)
5) Ferms (female pseudohermaphrodites)

Question 3

What is gender?

Answer 3

It refers to the cultural rather than biological differences between men and women. These are related to society’s constructed gender roles, gender identity and gender presentation.

Question 4

What is the definition of masculinity and femininity

Answer 4

Social identities constructed by cultures to organize social environments.

Question 5

What is gender non-binaries?

Answer 5

• Person who has a gender identity which is in between or beyond the two categories, fluctuates between them or who has no gender.

Question 6

Define genderfluid, bigender/pangender, A-gender/nongendered, third gender/genderqueer.

Answer 6

Genderfluid - Have gender identities that fluctuate.
Bigender - May identify as having more than one gender depending on the context.
A-gender - May have no gender,
Genderqueer - may identify gender differently

Question 7

What are the four criteria that need to be met for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria?

Answer 7

1) Strong persistent cross-gender identification,
2) Persistent discomfort with their sex,
3) Disturbance is not concurrent with a physical intersex condition
4) Disturbance causes clinically significant distress

Question 8

Define transitioning

Answer 8

Process og changing from one gender to another without medical intervention

Question 9

What is gender/sex reassignment

Answer 9

Process undertaken under medical supervision to change one’s physical sexual characteristics, this includes;

• Telling family & friends etc,
• Changing one’s name and sex on legal documents,
• Hormone therapy,
• Hair removal,
• Voice therapy,
• Chest and/or genital surgery

Question 10

What is a medico-legal process?

Answer 10

Visit to GP then referral to psychiatrist. Real-life test which is a period of living out the gender which they identify as before they start hormone therapy/surgery

Question 11

What is the endpoint of transitioning?

Answer 11

Acquired gender - person who has had their gender reassigned and/or legally recognised (gender recognition certificate)