The term “intersex” has several meanings. In a general sense, the term “intersex” is used to describe a wide range of variations in development of sex, including its innate genetic, hormonal, or anatomical components (sex characteristics). A variation in sex development means that a person has sex characteristics or their combinations that are different from the two ways that the human body (“male” and “female”) usually develops. In other words, a person with a variation in sex development may have sex characteristics that are considered to belong to both sexes, or may not have sex characteristics that are usually considered necessary to identify someone’s body as a male or female. These non-typical combinations of sex characteristics are also called “intersex variations”. Persons with a variation in sex characteristics may call themselves an “intersex person” or an “intersex”. For more information, please read our Russian language FAQ.