中间性 - 导言

术  语

古希腊花瓶，绘有起舞的阴阳人 Ancient Greek vase painting of a dancing hermaphrodite

在当前的医学、社会-政治的讨论中，现代术语“中间性” ( “intersexuality”，自拉丁语：inter:-在……之间； sexus-性别 )已经取代了这个学术化的和富于诗意的术语“雌雄同体”(hermaphroditism)。(可是，这个传统术语仍就用于植物学和动物生物学。)
按照古希腊的传说，赫马佛洛锹忒斯 (Hermaphroditos) 是一位漂亮青年，为众神信使赫尔墨斯(Hermes，拉丁语中称为墨丘利，Mercury)与爱神阿芙罗狄蒂(Aphrodite，拉丁语称为维纳斯，Venus)的儿子。当赫马佛洛锹忒斯拒绝了宁芙女神的爱时，她的拥抱是如此充满激情，以至于与他融为了一体。从而，从古至今，既显露有女性也有男性身体特征的人就被称为两性体 (hermaphrodite)。
另一个古代术语“阴阳人”(androgyne，自希腊语：andros-男人和gyne-女人)曾一度意谓双性人，即一个非常强壮的由两个身体构成的“双重”人，一个为男人，另一个是女人。现今，只有形容词“男女不分的”(androgynous)仍然广泛流传着，通常指称在身体和面孔上具有男女混合特征。
在我们所处的时代，神话典故对于科学研究的目的被认为太不精确，并且所涉及的医生和人们因而都避免使用这些神话典故。这一原则也被认为适用于较古老的分类“女性假两性阴阳人”(female pseudo-hermaphrodites)(存在着卵巢)和“男性假两性阴阳人”(male pseudo-hermaphrodites)(存在着睾丸)以及“真两性阴阳人”(true hermaphrodites)(即存在着卵巢，也存在着睾丸)。这些分类曾一度被认为很实用的，但同时也证明不切实际的。现在代之以更适用的术语用法：“中间性别者”(intersexual person)、“中间性者”(intersexed person)、或简称为“中间性”(intersex)。
近年来，一些专家对各种各样的中间性症状已经提出了一个新术语：“性发育失调(Disorders of Sex Development ，DSD)”。不过，其他专家认为这个术语是一个负面的标签，而且不会有益于防止歧视。因而，他们宁愿选择中立的、较少有污名化的表达，即“性发育变异(Variations of Sex Development，VSD)”或“性发育差异(Differences of Sex Development)”。后一个术语甚至可能会附和缩写DSD，但是可能会让更多人接受这个含意。
现代的科学研究已经表明，中间性是一个致病的程度问题，涵盖着范围很广的身体发育畸形的性象谱系，其致病原因多种多样。所以，单一的学科研究并不适合于解决所有的病例。只有通过对每一个病例进行彻底的体格检查和细致的斟酌才能够找到对症下药的良方。

Intersexuality - Introduction

Terms

In the current medical and socio-political discussion, the modern term “intersexuality” (from lat. inter: between and sexus: sex) has replaced the learned, and more poetic term “hermaphroditism”. (However, this traditional term is still being used in plant and animal biology.)
According to an ancient Greek legend, Hermaphroditos was a beautiful young man, the son of the messenger god Hermes (lat. Mercury) and the love goddess Aphrodite (lat. Venus). When he rejected the love of a nymph, she embraced him so passionately, that her body merged with his. Accordingly, from ancient to modern times, a person showing both female and male physical characteristics was called a hermaphrodite.
Another ancient term “androgyne” (from gr. andros: man and gyne: woman) once meant a double-sexed person, i.e. a very strong “double” creature composed of two bodies, one male and the other female. Today, only the adjective “androgynous” still enjoys wider currency, usually in reference to bodies and faces that combine male and female features.
In our time, mythological allusions are considered too imprecise for scientific purposes, and both the doctors and the persons concerned therefore avoid them. This also goes for the older distinctions between so-called “female pseudo-hermaphrodites” (ovaries present), “male pseudo-hermaphrodites” (testicles present) and “true hermaphrodites” (both ovarian and testicular tissue present). These distinctions were once considered useful, but have, in the meantime, proved impractical. Instead, one now uses the more general term “intersexual person”, “intersexed person”, or “intersex”, for short.
Recently some experts have suggested a new term for the various intersexual conditions: “Disorders of Sex Development (DSD)”. However, others believe that this is a negative label and not helpful in preventing discrimination. Therefore, they prefer the neutral, less stigmatizing expressions “Variations of Sex Development (VSD)” or “Differences of Sex Development”. This latter term would even preserve the abbreviation DSD, but would give it a more widely accepted meaning.
Modern research has shown us that Intersexuality is matter of degree, covering a wide spectrum of atypical physical developments with a variety of possible causes. Therefore, no single approach fits all cases. Only a very thorough examination and careful deliberation can show the way to the necessary individual course of action in each case.