When an infant is born with indeterminate sex, the genital organs are not visually male or female. The two could be melded together into one organ or there could be a mixture of both with various organs not normally seen together. In the past, doctors were brought in to “fix” the genitalia so it looked like one sex or the other, but that practice is becoming far less acceptable.

There is little known about why an infant is born of indeterminate sex. What is known is that one in 2,000 infants are born this way each year. When a parent is given the choice of creating a male of female genitalia, some doctors believe that choice could be skewed by the gender wishes of some parents. Moreover, the sexual preference of the infant may make the choice a bit more comfortable if surgery is put off until the child is old enough to make a decision on their own.

DNA testing and psychological therapy will be required before any treatment for indeterminate sex can be scheduled.