Fact VS Myth
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Fact VS Myth
Myth vs. Fact
• Myth: Sexual makeup is simple.
• Fact: If you are an earthworm then yes; for the rest of us NO. Sexual identity is more complex and is a combination of
"biological sex," which is the chromosomes and body parts we were born with.
"gender," which is who we think we are (male/female/or some combination).
"sexual orientation," which is who we are romantically attracted to (heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual).
"social roles and behaviors," which are how we present ourselves to others in the way we dress, talk and act.
There is often confusion between what sexual orientation and gender identity/expression is.
Gender identity refers to who you are, identify as, male, female, or a gender in between male and female irrespective of biological aspects.
Sexual orientation only refers to who you are attracted to.
• Myth: It is a mental disorder.
• Fact: it is biological not mental in nature. Often anxiety and/or depression are a part of the transgendered person's life, but that is due to other factors, not being transgendered.
• Myth: Children cannot know they are transgender.
• Fact: Many transgender children feel discomfort with their gender for as long as they can remember. Because of greater awareness and access to information via the internet more people are choosing to express their identity at an earlier age. Not all gender nonconforming children will become transgender.
• Myth: LGBTs are child molesters.
• Fact: The majority of child molesters are heterosexual males. 90% of child molesters target children in their network of family and friends.
• Myth: Transgender people are gay or lesbian?
• Fact: No. Transgender people can be straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or asexual.
• Myth: It is a choice
• Fact: Medical evidence indicates that the part of a trans* persons brain that determines sexuality has in fact developed a structure that is indicative of the opposite gender they were born with. Therefore it is a physical condition and choice has absolutely nothing to do with it.
• Myth: Transgender women and men are not “real” women and men.
• Fact: Peoples “true” gender is not defined by the sex they were assigned at birth. True gender is based on our gender identity. When a person who is transgender expresses an identity different from the one they were assigned at birth, the gender they are expressing is their “real” gender.
• Myth: Itʼs okay to make fun of girls who are too masculine, boys who are too effeminate and Transgender youth because that is just harmless teasing.
• Fact: Teasing is never harmless, particularly regarding gender stereotypes. Gender non-conforming youth’s appearance or expression may seem confusing, but that is only because it does not fit into stereotypes we have about gender.
• Myth: Gender variance is rare.
• Fact: The fetal brain develops during the intrauterine period in the male direction through a direct action of testosterone on the developing nerve cells, or in the female direction through the absence of this hormone surge. In this way, our gender identity (the conviction of belonging to the male or female gender) and sexual orientation are programmed or organized into our brain structures when we are still in the womb. However, since sexual differentiation of the genitals takes place in the first two months of pregnancy and sexual differentiation of the brain starts in the second half of pregnancy, these two processes can be influenced independently, which may result in extreme cases in trans-sexuality. This also means that in the event of ambiguous sex at birth, the degree of masculinization of the genitals may not reflect the degree of masculinization of the brain. There is no indication that social environment after birth has an effect on gender identity or sexual orientation.
• Myth: Gender variance is rare.
• Fact: Every ten minutes a child, 1/2500, is born ambiguous, and the attending physician cannot determine the sex, or gender. Some enter the world AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) where as men they develop as females. All fetuses are first female according to gene, chromosome, and endocrinology. Those that become androgen sensitive become males. Or something in between. 1/150 have some form of Intersex condition varying from urethra hypoplasia to any number of genital and body mixtures. Transsexuals are a small segment. Est 1/30,000, of which only 5% transition and have reassignment surgery. The world is not so rightly divided male and female, nor is it in application of justice and equality.
• Myth: DNA decides ones gender
• Fact: False. DNA only determines physical appearance. Typical females have XX chromosomes and Males XY. This is not however set in stone; the Y chromosome, a gene called SRY usually makes a fetus grow as a male. It turns out, though, that SRY can show up on an X, turning an XX fetus essentially male. And if the SRY gene does not work on the Y, the fetus develops essentially female. There are many variations of these chromosomes in humans. Some being XX&XY,XXY&XY/XXY, XXXY&XXYY,XXXX&XYY, XXXXX&XO and XXX&XXXX.
The following is a summary of the frequency statistics
Sex Variation Frequency
Not XX and not XY one in 1,666 births
Klinefelter (XXY) one in 1,000 births
Androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 13,000 births
Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 130,000 births
Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia one in 13,000 births
Late onset adrenal hyperplasia one in 66 individuals
Vaginal agenesis one in 6,000 births
Ovotestes one in 83,000 births
Idiopathic (no discernable medical cause) one in 110,000 births
Iatrogenic (caused by medical treatment, for instance progestin administered to pregnant
mother) No estimate
5 alpha reductase deficiency No estimate
Mixed gonadal dysgenesis No estimate
Complete gonadal dysgenesis one in 150,000 births
Hypospadias (urethral opening in perineum or along penile shaft) one in 2,000 births
Hypospadias (urethral opening between corona and tip of glans penis) one in 770 births
• Myth: Sexual makeup is simple.
• Fact: If you are an earthworm then yes; for the rest of us NO. Sexual identity is more complex and is a combination of
"biological sex," which is the chromosomes and body parts we were born with.
"gender," which is who we think we are (male/female/or some combination).
"sexual orientation," which is who we are romantically attracted to (heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual).
"social roles and behaviors," which are how we present ourselves to others in the way we dress, talk and act.
There is often confusion between what sexual orientation and gender identity/expression is.
Gender identity refers to who you are, identify as, male, female, or a gender in between male and female irrespective of biological aspects.
Sexual orientation only refers to who you are attracted to.
• Myth: It is a mental disorder.
• Fact: it is biological not mental in nature. Often anxiety and/or depression are a part of the transgendered person's life, but that is due to other factors, not being transgendered.
• Myth: Children cannot know they are transgender.
• Fact: Many transgender children feel discomfort with their gender for as long as they can remember. Because of greater awareness and access to information via the internet more people are choosing to express their identity at an earlier age. Not all gender nonconforming children will become transgender.
• Myth: LGBTs are child molesters.
• Fact: The majority of child molesters are heterosexual males. 90% of child molesters target children in their network of family and friends.
• Myth: Transgender people are gay or lesbian?
• Fact: No. Transgender people can be straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or asexual.
• Myth: It is a choice
• Fact: Medical evidence indicates that the part of a trans* persons brain that determines sexuality has in fact developed a structure that is indicative of the opposite gender they were born with. Therefore it is a physical condition and choice has absolutely nothing to do with it.
• Myth: Transgender women and men are not “real” women and men.
• Fact: Peoples “true” gender is not defined by the sex they were assigned at birth. True gender is based on our gender identity. When a person who is transgender expresses an identity different from the one they were assigned at birth, the gender they are expressing is their “real” gender.
• Myth: Itʼs okay to make fun of girls who are too masculine, boys who are too effeminate and Transgender youth because that is just harmless teasing.
• Fact: Teasing is never harmless, particularly regarding gender stereotypes. Gender non-conforming youth’s appearance or expression may seem confusing, but that is only because it does not fit into stereotypes we have about gender.
• Myth: Gender variance is rare.
• Fact: The fetal brain develops during the intrauterine period in the male direction through a direct action of testosterone on the developing nerve cells, or in the female direction through the absence of this hormone surge. In this way, our gender identity (the conviction of belonging to the male or female gender) and sexual orientation are programmed or organized into our brain structures when we are still in the womb. However, since sexual differentiation of the genitals takes place in the first two months of pregnancy and sexual differentiation of the brain starts in the second half of pregnancy, these two processes can be influenced independently, which may result in extreme cases in trans-sexuality. This also means that in the event of ambiguous sex at birth, the degree of masculinization of the genitals may not reflect the degree of masculinization of the brain. There is no indication that social environment after birth has an effect on gender identity or sexual orientation.
• Myth: Gender variance is rare.
• Fact: Every ten minutes a child, 1/2500, is born ambiguous, and the attending physician cannot determine the sex, or gender. Some enter the world AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) where as men they develop as females. All fetuses are first female according to gene, chromosome, and endocrinology. Those that become androgen sensitive become males. Or something in between. 1/150 have some form of Intersex condition varying from urethra hypoplasia to any number of genital and body mixtures. Transsexuals are a small segment. Est 1/30,000, of which only 5% transition and have reassignment surgery. The world is not so rightly divided male and female, nor is it in application of justice and equality.
• Myth: DNA decides ones gender
• Fact: False. DNA only determines physical appearance. Typical females have XX chromosomes and Males XY. This is not however set in stone; the Y chromosome, a gene called SRY usually makes a fetus grow as a male. It turns out, though, that SRY can show up on an X, turning an XX fetus essentially male. And if the SRY gene does not work on the Y, the fetus develops essentially female. There are many variations of these chromosomes in humans. Some being XX&XY,XXY&XY/XXY, XXXY&XXYY,XXXX&XYY, XXXXX&XO and XXX&XXXX.
The following is a summary of the frequency statistics
Sex Variation Frequency
Not XX and not XY one in 1,666 births
Klinefelter (XXY) one in 1,000 births
Androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 13,000 births
Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 130,000 births
Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia one in 13,000 births
Late onset adrenal hyperplasia one in 66 individuals
Vaginal agenesis one in 6,000 births
Ovotestes one in 83,000 births
Idiopathic (no discernable medical cause) one in 110,000 births
Iatrogenic (caused by medical treatment, for instance progestin administered to pregnant
mother) No estimate
5 alpha reductase deficiency No estimate
Mixed gonadal dysgenesis No estimate
Complete gonadal dysgenesis one in 150,000 births
Hypospadias (urethral opening in perineum or along penile shaft) one in 2,000 births
Hypospadias (urethral opening between corona and tip of glans penis) one in 770 births
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