Taylor's Condition

 Note to readers: Sex talk ahead!  Flee now if you must! 

Taylor and her parents meet with her doctors to discuss the recent discovery that she is Intersex. 

Marcus:  One thing I need to say before we start: The medical establishment does not assign genders at birth. We diagnose a sex, a biological state.  Society assigns gender based on that diagnosis.  What we're talking about here today is sex - not gender.

Pike: Understood.  

Marcus: There are four biological definitions of male or female, and in most people those aspects are all in agreement.   

Lara: Taylor has displayed a remarkable knowledge of the subject, but I'll review them for the parents' sake.  

Taylor:  I did a presentation last year on it for Mrs. Guinness's class.  One of my classmates kept running his mouth about "there's only two" and I just wanted to shut him up.  Didn't work. 

Lara: When a child is born, we diagnose sex by the appearance of the genitalia.  In animals without a clear external structure,  the sex is determined by gonads - males make sperm, females make eggs.  Then there's DNA and hormone levels.  

Rose-Grace: That's why you called it Complete AIS, because there was no "wait a minute, what sex is this kid".  Incomplete, she would have looked unusual? 

Pike: What does all this mean for Taylor's future?  

Lara: Yes, in the case of Incomplete Androgen Insensitivity, the genitalia would be ambiguous.  (to Pike's question) Beyond the question of motherhood, I don't think this will change anything about her life's trajectory.   She has no ovaries or womb, and therefore can't get pregnant.   But Taylor is quite healthy otherwise.

Marcus:  Two of the factors indicate male, two indicate female.  But that's just the biology.  (To Taylor) You seem to be taking all of this very well, but I do recommend you see one of our counselors.  It's quite a bit to cope with. 

Taylor: I'm actually kind of relieved, to be honest.  I'd half convinced myself I had something horrible wrong with me.  Something that would kill me. But yeah, if you want me to see a shrink, I will.