- What is intersex?
- How common is intersex?
- Intersex conditions
- How do I know if I have an intersex condition?
- 5-alpha reductase deficiency
- Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS)
- Aphallia
- Clitoromegaly (large clitoris)
- Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)
- gonadal dysgenesis (partial & complete)
- hypospadias
- I have a line along the underside of my penis
- Klinefelter Syndrome
- micropenis
- mosaicism involving "sex" chromosomes
- MRKH (Mullerian agenesis; vaginal agenesis; congenital absence of vagina)
- ovo-testes (formerly called "true hermaphroditism")
- Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (PAIS)
- Progestin Induced Virilization
- Swyer Syndrome
- Turner Syndrome
- What does ISNA recommend for children with intersex?
- Does ISNA think children with intersex should be raised without a gender, or in a third gender?
- What's wrong with the way intersex has traditionally been treated?
- What do doctors do now when they encounter a patient with intersex?
- Questions about Intersex Society of North America
- How come many people have never heard of intersex?
- Is a person who is intersex a hermaphrodite?
- Does having a Y chromosome make someone a man?
- Is intersex the same as "ambiguous genitalia"?
- Show me how intersex anatomy develops
- What is the current policy of the American Academy of Pediatrics on surgery?
- What's the difference between being transgender or transsexual and having an intersex condition?
- Why Doesn't ISNA Want to Eradicate Gender?
- How can you assign a gender (boy or girl) without surgery?
- What evidence is there that you can grow up psychologically healthy with intersex genitals (without "normalizing" surgeries)?
- Does ISNA advocate doing nothing when a child is born with intersex?
- What's ISNA's position on surgery?
- Are there medical risks associated with intersex conditions?
- How can I get my old medical records?
- What do intersex and the same-sex marriage debate have to do with each other?
- Who was David Reimer (also, sadly, known as "John/Joan")?
- What's the history behind the intersex rights movement?
Klinefelter Syndrome
Most men inherit a single X chromosome from their mother, and a single Y chromosome from their father. Men with Klinefelter syndrome inherit an extra X chromosome from either father or mother; their karyotype is 47 XXY. Klinefelter is quite common, occuring in 1/500 to 1/1,000 male births.
The testes are small (about half typical size) and quite firm. After puberty, the ejaculate contains no sperm. Other effects of Klinefelter are quite variable. Boys with Klinefelter are usually born with male genitals that look like other boys. But at puberty, they may not virilize very strongly—they may not develop much body hair, or they may experience breast development. If the boy wishes to virilize, testosterone (either through injections or via patches) can help him to do so.
Although most boys with Klinefelter Syndrome grow up to live as men, some do develop atypical gender identities, and some do develop female gender identities.
We’ve collected some online resources about Klinefelter Syndrome.
