Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi everyone,

Lilis here, I've been on HRT for nearly a year now, and during this journey I've realize that some aspects of my body and lived experience might point to something more than just being trans, they point to being intersex as well.

Before I started transitioning, I had naturally feminine curves and breast tissue that I would hide since I was young.

I was assigned male at birth but always had features that didn't fully align with that label, like fuller hips, soft body fat distribution, and a lack of typical male body development in some areas.

I also experience chronic tension and emotional pain around my chest and abdomen, waist, hips, thighs, glutes, upper back, mid back, and lower back that my therapist and psychiatrist diagnosed as ties to years of suppression and confusion around my embodiment, and are my body's trauma responses.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis here, just support and shared experiences.

I've read that some intersex people go undiagnosed for most of their lives, especially those whose traits were suppressed, surgically altered, or simply never talked about.

I relate to that a lot.

Has anyone here come to recognize intersex traits in themselves later in life, especially after starting transition?

What signs did you notice?

Did a medical test confirm anything, or was it more of a spiritual or intuitive knowing?

I'm open to learning more about variations like:

Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (PAIS)

Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY)

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

Mixed gonadal dysgenesis

Mosaic karyotypes

If you've walked this path, or are still walking it, I'd love to hear from you.

Whether your intersex identity is medically recognized or self-discovered, your voice is welcome here.

I just want to honor the truth of my body, wherever it leads.

Thank you so much.

Curious,

~ Lilis 💞

Lills, there is always some debate about what is actually Intersex as some confine it to reproductive organs, and other take most things into account. Many of us have physical variations, and maybe all of us have at least incongruent wiring in our brains.

A general indicator seems to be reproductive ability, though there are exceptions. I was diagnosed with hypogonadism, but with some effort, I was able to reproduce. I had difficulty with crippling abdominal cramps and nose bleeds for a few days each month in my early teens, and my doctor jokingly suggested I could be intersex. I never developed body hair, and had sparse facial hair. I always had some breast tissue, and as I got to my senior years, well before I started HRT, my genitals atrophied and retreated inside. I developed severe phimosis and passing urine became difficult.

I never needed anti androgens, and, even in my 70's I have a full head of hair. A couple of years ago, a relative got me to submit a DNA sample to a genealogy company and their result confirmed my family heritage and also classified me as male. These DNA tests are cheap and I doubt their accuracy, but it adds to a general belief I have that I am not intersex, well, at least until they include brain wiring in the grouping! I was a DES baby, and there are a lot of developmental variations which have been (unofficially) associated with that drug.

If we can accept that both sex and gender are on spectrums, I believe we all fit somewhere between the extremes, and intersex will need to be clearly defined to see if we fall within its description. A former member of Susan's urged me to get karyotyped, but even if I could afford it, I wouldn't bother as it wouldn't change or improve my life. I'm happy to just be me.

Hugs,

Allie

No medical tests but I may be Intersex.
Hourglass 32A-24-34 figure without HRT.
Left breast slightly larger than my  right.
No Adam's Apple.  Very little chest hair.
No male pattern baldness though my hair is thinning due to age.
Waistline is above the belly button.

The doctors found that I was intersex only a few years ago when I was undergoing tests to find out what was wrong with me that led to my eventual neurodivergent diagnosis.  To this day we still don't know what has caused my intersex condition, since the first and only thing so far ruled out is Kleinfelter's, even though I am the tallest on both sides of my family tree, my kerotype test came back with just two chromosomes.  However another thing the doctors noticed was that what was thought to be my male thing was too short and fell into either the micro male category or enlarged female category.    As one doctor said, when you are first out of the womb, everything is micro sized compared to your adult form.

But there are also questions as to whether I might be a chimera, since my eyes have always been different shades/colors.  I do have a birth defect in my one eye that is linked to a copying error on my X chromosome, and from what I understand that is close to where an error for Androgen Insensitivity occurs.  However with Chimerism, some chimeras only noticeable external feature is two differently coloured eyes, but they don't know if my defect has caused the color difference or if it's because I am carrying my twin sister.