Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Hermaphrodite" in English language version.
In the past, the term hermaphrodite was widely applied in such cases, but humans are not hermaphroditic. In a truly hermaphroditic species, individuals have functional sets of male and female organs.
Of note, the otherwise well-studied insects, birds, and mammals are strikingly absent here—with not a single species among these groups showing hermaphroditism (for details on a supposedly hermaphroditic scale insect, however, see Gardner and Ross, 2011).
use of the words "hermaphrodite," "pseudohermaphrodite," and "intersex" should be abandoned, as they either are confusing or have a negative social connotation that may be perceived as harmful by some patients and parents.
The mythological term "hermaphrodite" implies that a person is both fully male and fully female. This is a physiologic impossibility. The words "hermaphrodite" and "pseudo-hermaphrodite" are stigmatizing and misleading words.
Of note, the otherwise well-studied insects, birds, and mammals are strikingly absent here—with not a single species among these groups showing hermaphroditism (for details on a supposedly hermaphroditic scale insect, however, see Gardner and Ross, 2011).
use of the words "hermaphrodite," "pseudohermaphrodite," and "intersex" should be abandoned, as they either are confusing or have a negative social connotation that may be perceived as harmful by some patients and parents.
