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Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex

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The history of the clinical management of intersex has previously been relegated to medical texts- texts which illuminate technologies to "treat" intersex while ignoring the experience of the recipients of such protocols. Alice Dreger's book unveils the identities of those who heretofore have appeared in textbook photographs and illustrations with their genitals in sharp focus but with their faces obscured. In the process, Dreger reveals how medicine has often tragically subordinated what is between the patient's ears and in the patient's heart to what is between the patient's legs. While physicians would be well-served to incorporate the information and perspectives Dreger offers, the book should appeal to a far larger audience because it challenges the reader's assumption that sex is like Carvel (two flavors only) when in reality it is Baskins & Robbins.

I consider myself an "enlightened" feminist and of course I believe that gender is socially constructed, but I still had a lot to learn from this book. It's not just that gender is socially constructed, but sex itself: nothing is "natural." Nothing -- not chromasomes, genitals, nor secondary sex characteristics like breasts, facial hair, body hair, and voice -- has meaning until we ascribe it a meaning. Doctors and the medical profession have participated in the social construction of gender and sex by creating the hermaphrodite as a monstrosity that deviates from binary norms rather than as a part of a continuum of sex and gender.

Dreger's book focuses on the collision of hermaphrodites with the medical profession in 19th century Britain and France, a time period when feminists and homosexuals were beginning to challenge sexual boundries. Dreger sucessfully balences stories of individuals with the larger social context. Also, she never resorts to euphemisms, and the accompanying photographs are something that is missing from the standard human anatomy textbook. We should see and appreciate humanity in all its infinite variety and not force anyone to conform to a constructed "norm."

Dreger's final chapter explores the plight of the intersexed in contemporary America. If we are truely to "celebrate diversity," we are going to have to become educated about the millions of intersexed in this country and become sensitive to their issues... because they are issues that concern us all.

This one's easy: 1) It's a great introduction to Intersex issues; 2) in the trans community we talk a lot about the distinction between sex and gender, and often like to mention how gender is constructed but sex isn't. This book, however, points out that sex, too, is constructed: in this case, by modern medicine; 3) it's a little more academic, sometimes is repetitive, but it's got a wealth of information.

This book is wonderful! It gives a tremendous amount of insight to the intersexed. A must for anyone interested in the history of sexuality.

I'm in the medical field - I've been a nurse for 27 years and I've only run across 5 or 6 such individuals ala intersexual'
and it's a rare, rare book indeed that can carry on such an intellectual discussion on this condition.
What I learned that I valued the most is that modern western medics and nurses and parents should act in haste when encountering such a special person.
Sexual ambiguity is what it is....medical people were well-meaning when they saught to correct it, but they possibly could have destroyed the true gender identity of a intersexed individual.
Living in the enlightened society of today, with western modern standards, there is a lot less "fear" associated with intersexed persons.....more facination than fear anyhow.
This book is very intellectual - but understandable by the average college-read person. I encourage all persons who have become aware of this 'condition' to pick up this fine book - read it - and learn a bushel-full of facts regarding hermaphrodites and the various 'forms' people come equipped with. I have only yet begun to understand that this condition may be more prevelant than ever considered before.
This is a very facinating book and it comes with my highest recommendation for a truly underrepresented topic.