What is a Hermaphrodite? Questions and Answers

In recent news there have been rumors about pop star Lady Gaga being a hermaphrodite. Is this news fact or fiction? It seems the answer is leaning more towards fact. Regardless of whether this is true or not doesn’t really matter. What’s true is that there really are people who are hermaphrodites. Many don’t know about people who have the hermaphrodite condition. The following are common questions people seem to have when wanting to know about someone who is a hermaphrodite.

1. Why isn’t the general public familiar with people who are hermaphrodites? A hermaphrodite is a condition where a person has both female and male reproductive organs. Many people are not familiar with this condition because it’s not one that is common or physically apparent in public.

2. How does a person become a hermaphrodite? The exact cause is unknown but it is said that the overproduction of testosterone by the adrenal glands could be the cause. Some pregnant mother’s who have been exposed to certain drugs could have influenced the overproduction of the testosterone.

3. Since a person who is a hermaphrodite has both reproductive organs can they get themselves pregnant? The chances are highly rare and that is because one set of organs is more fully developed than the other.

4. What do parent(s) do when they find out their baby is a hermaphrodite? Some parents decide when the baby is born to change the male part of the organs into female reproductive organs or visa versa with corrective surgery. While this seems like a great solution complications may later arise when the hermaphrodite feels their sex is opposite of their reproductive organs. Parents who decide to leave the female and male reproductive organs alone allow the hermaphrodite child to later decide what they want to do.

5. Does puberty have a negative effect on a person’s self esteem that has the hermaphrodite condition? It can be tough for any child who goes through hormonal changes during puberty. Physical changes such as acne, hair growth production and menstruation in girls can have an impact on self-esteem. The difference for a hermaphrodite is that their changes may not match with what they look like or who the feel they are. For example, if they had corrective surgery as a baby, altering them to become physically like a boy that boy may one day find himself menstruating during his teen years.

6. Can a person who has the hermaphrodite condition capable of having a satisfying intimate experience? People who have this condition are capable of having a satisfying intimate experience just as much as a human who don’t have this condition. It really depends on the person. As with any intimate relationship it’s a good idea to be sensitive to the other’s wants, needs and pleasures.

7. Do people who have the hermaphrodite condition have social challenges? Yes, they can have social challenges. Many people are not sensitive to this condition because they don’t have enough information about it. They ridicule or avoid them. In return the person with the hermaphrodite condition feels depressed, lonely and bad about whom they are.

8. Are there support groups for anyone who has the hermaphrodite condition? Yes, there are many throughout the United States. For example, Intersex Society of North America, Alliance of Genetic Support Groups, National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and National Parent to Parent Support and Information System (NPPSIS).