link

The issue was the subject of discussion at the two-day Intersex Symposium that began here yesterday at the King Fahd Center for Medical Research.

Solving the problem of ambiguous genitalia begins with deciding what the baby's chromosomes are to determine sex. If they are XX then the baby is considered to be female and if the baby has XY chromosomes, then it is considered to be a boy. There are three types of intersex babies. Either the baby has more male genitals than female genitals. In such a case, doctors fix the male side of the baby. Or the baby has more female genitals, in which case doctors would fix the female side of the baby.

The third type of intersex baby is the epicene — a baby that has one ovary and one testis. In such a situation, doctors check to see which sex the baby is closer to. If the problem is discovered when the baby has grown up, then doctors will see how the individual has been raised by his or her family.