Having a-typical sex characteristics.
1 in 300 humans are niether male or female, but have characteristics between male and female.
The word Hermaphrodite is deprecated now due to incorrect assumptions of the anatomy being the same as its namesake, the mythical god/goddess combination of Hermes and Aphrodite, having complete sets of both characteristics. This is impossible due the action of Mullerian-Inhibiting Hormone produced by the Y chromosome, although producers of hermaphroditic pornography would have you believe otherwise. The new term Intersex ( Intersexed, Intersexual ) is used now to get away from this misconception.
Intersex conditions can show up at birth (having unusual genitalia) or at puberty when unusual development occurs.
Children are normally operated on to make them conform to societal standards of male or female. Whilst doctors and surgeons beleive this is the correct thing to do, more and more intersexed people are coming forward with evidence that in the majority of cases this does immense psychological, medical, and sexual damage. Whilst the practice is continuing, most doctors are now open to the possibility that this may be wrong, although a hardcore of surgeons still persist in their view that it is best so the child doesnt get bullied in the changing rooms at school. Studies are underway by many of the large medical councils across the world to do some follow up reports and find out
Unfortunately information on a hermaphrodites medical history is usually withheld from the individual as doctors beleive it would cause psychological harm. This makes it difficult to study the overall outcomes of hermaphrodites, as the only ones who know are the ones who have either had severe medical problems, or those who have happenned upon information on the internet and fought for access to a re-diagnosis and/or access to their medical records.
Several campaign and support groups have been formed to stop medical intervention on intersexed infants for societal reasons. One such group is the ISNA.