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中間性
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導言 |
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流行程度：中間性發生率如何？
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很難說究竟有多少孩子天生就是中間性。就像已經解釋過的那樣，中間性是一個現代的概念，它涵蓋寬泛的異常性發育的性象譜。某些中間性出生的當口就一目了然，其他的則隱含著、甚或在嚴密的醫學體格檢查下也不能察覺。有時，是否應該對特定的病例給予中間性的稱謂，確乎是看法不同的問題。換一句話說：中間性非常象人類其他的性現象一樣，是一個程度差異的問題，並且依各國的各種各樣的社會習俗與醫學慣例而定，因為各國劃定的精確診斷標準各有差異。不過，有人不斷地嘗試欲估量出受到中間性影響的人數，但是這些個估值差別非常大。最適當的估數似乎是：在每1500-2000個活產中有一個孩子需要專家來幫助確定其性別。此外，還有不確切數量的中間性在出生時未引人注意，直到生命的晚期才被人發現。從更廣泛的視野來觀察，人們發現每100個新生兒中有1例在生理外觀上與正常的男性或女性不一樣，而且每1000名新生兒中有1例接受性器官“標準化”的矯治手術(1)。簡而言之，中間性相對罕見，卻仍然是一個足以值得普遍關注的問題。如果人人都就此問題達到了充分的認識，這不僅對於所涉及到的個人非常有幫助，而且對於社會其他人也是莫無裨益的。
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男女之間的性象譜
Spectrum between female and
male
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在男性與女性之間可能存在著寬泛的異常性發育的性象譜。中間性的不同定義是基於性象譜的(A) 狹義的含義或(B)
廣義含義來界定的。
There is a wide spectrum of possible atypical developments between female and male.
Different definitions of intersexuality are based on
(A) narrower or (B) wider sections of this spectrum.
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1.
Blackless, M., Charuvastra, A., Derryck, A., Fausto-Sterling, A., Lauzanne, K. and Lee, E. 2000. How sexually dimorphic are we? Review and synthesis. American Journal of Human Biology 12:151-166
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Intersexuality - Introduction
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Prevalence: How common is intersexuality?
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It is very difficult to say how many children are born as intersexes. As already explained,
intersexuality is a modern concept covering a wide spectrum of atypical developments. Some are immediately obvious, others are hidden or hardly noticeable even under close medical scrutiny. Sometimes, it is a matter of opinion whether the term “intersex” should be applied to a particular case. In other words:
Like so much else in human sexuality, intersexuality is a matter of degree, and it depends on various social and medical conventions where exactly one draws the diagnostic line. Nevertheless, there have been repeated attempts to estimate the number of persons affected, and these estimates vary widely. The best estimate today seems to be this:
In one of every 1500 - 2000 live births, a specialist is called to help determine the sex of the baby. An additional, but unknown number of intersex conditions are not noticed at birth, but are discovered later in life. Taking a broader view of the issue, it has been found that
one in 100 newborns differ in their physical appearance from the expected typical male or female, and that
one in 1000 receive surgery to “normalize” the appearance of their sex organs (1). In short, intersexuality is relatively rare, but still common enough to deserve our attention. It would be very helpful not only for the persons concerned, but also for the rest of society if everyone were better informed about the subject. 1.
Blackless, M., Charuvastra, A., Derryck, A., Fausto-Sterling, A., Lauzanne, K. and Lee, E. 2000. How sexually dimorphic are we? Review and synthesis. American Journal of Human Biology 12:151-166
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