Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Hermaphrodite" in English language version.
Last modified:
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.
