People with innate variations of sex characteristics (IVSCs) are a diverse population who share experiences of having innate sex characteristics (such as chromosomes, gonads or hormones) that differ from medical norms for female or male bodies.
There are many specific diagnoses within this umbrella, each with their own aetiology, typical age of diagnosis, and likely sex assignment and treatment path. More than 100 genes can have an impact on sex development (Délot and Vilain 2021).
Other terms for IVSCs are intersex variations, differences of sex development (DSD), and other variations of the acronym DSD such as disorders of sex development.
Terms used and distinctions drawn between them are often inconsistent or unspecified. There is no consensus even amongst clinical providers using the term DSD on what should be included (Délot and Vilain 2021). Community organisations open for people with any diagnosis exist for any individual at risk of stigmatisation or harm because of an innate variations in sex characteristics.
People with IVSCs have health needs that must be addressed in a timely way across all life stages, and in ways that respect their rights, values and preferences. However, in most Australian jurisdictions, this population still remain at risk of, or experience, unnecessary medical interventions, often provided without their consent; such interventions have been recognised as human rights abuses (Australian Human Rights Commission 2021; Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 2019).
References
Australian Human Rights Commission. 2021. Ensuring Health and Bodily Integrity: Towards a Human Rights Approach for People Born with Variations in Sex Characteristics. Sydney, Australia: Australian Human Rights Commission. https://humanrights.gov.au/intersex-report-2021.
Délot, Emmanuèle C., and Eric Vilain. 2021. ‘Towards Improved Genetic Diagnosis of Human Differences of Sex Development’. Nature Reviews Genetics, no. 22, 588–602. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-021-00365-5.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2019. ‘Human Rights Violations Against Intersex People: A Background Note’. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/tools-and-resources/background-note-human-rights-violations-against-intersex-people.