Many people are aware that Down syndrome results from having three non-sex chromosomes at site 21 rather than the normal two (trisomy 21). There are a few other cases of trisomy which typically result in severe disabilities and early death. The condition of having more or fewer than 2 chromosomes at each site is termed “aneuploidy.”
As with non-sex chromosomes, there are many cases in which a person has more or fewer than the normal number of sex chromosomes. These include XO, XXX, XXY, XXXY, XYYY and others that are rarer. These are often characterized by specific phenotypes — outward appearances and sometimes behaviors.
Then there is gender identity, the personal sense of one’s own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person’s assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the individual’s gender identity. Gender expression typically reflects a person’s gender identity, but this is not always the case. Some people do not identify with some, or all, of the aspects of gender associated with their biological sex. This information is readily available via trustworthy medical sources on the internet.
Who are we to judge?
— Jon Nickles
Anchorage
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