Originally Posted By UFOT

I wonder which street these folks would party on if they came to montreal... (scratches head)

Ufot-nah bro, he's like rocky

Originally Posted By LAURENT

i think that particular street you're refering about bears the same of a saint ... ( scratches head )

Originally Posted By SCREWHEAD

who the fuck was St. Crescent?

Originally Posted By UFOT

LOLZ

btw fred, are you convinced yet that L.Gaga is a man?

Ufot-exactly what I thought...

Explainer: Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome

The controversy surrounding the gender of the world 800-metres champion, Caster Semenya, while humiliating for her, has focused much-needed attention on the plight of those born of indeterminate sex.

The International Association of Athletic Federations confirmed yesterday that "gender verification test results" on Semenya will be examined by medical experts. Reports in the Australian press suggested that though she has the external appearance of a woman, Semenya has no womb or ovaries.

As many as 4 per cent of people are born with neither a clear male nor clear female identity, according to the Gender Trust. Most may be unaware that they are classified as "intersex" and suffer no discomfort or distress as a result. But for others, such as Janet, whose story appears on this page, the implications can be profound.

A diagnosis of intersex is made when a person is genetically, biologically or physically different from the accepted norms. True hermaphrodites, with both sets of genitals, exist only in mythology, and the term is loathed by sufferers, who consider it medically inaccurate and demeaning.

However, some babies are born with ambiguous genitals which leave their sex unclear. They may resemble those of a female with a large clitoris and the labia fused together, or they may look like those of a male with a small penis and an empty scrotum. Surgery may be carried out so the baby can be assigned as either male or female.

Others are born with genetic abnormalities. The sex of a baby is established in the womb according to whether they have an XX chromosome pair (female) or XY (male). The commonest gender disorders are chromosomal abnormalities such as Turner's syndrome (X0, where the second X chromosome is missing), which affects one in 10,000 girls, and Klinefelter's syndrome (XXY or XXXY) affecting one in 1,000 boys.

Girls with Turner's syndrome mostly have normal genitals but the ovaries do not develop and they remain infertile. Boys with Klinefelter's syndrome may have small testes or produce low amounts of testosterone and can develop breasts. They may also have signs of a womb and ovaries.

People with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, or AIS (one in 20,000 births) – as described by Janet – are genetically male (with the XY chromosome) but due to a failure to respond to testosterone do not develop male genitals and at birth appear female. They are thus usually raised as girls. They can develop breasts at puberty, but the vagina is small or absent, and they do not menstruate. Some AIS women have had modelling careers because their lack of male hormones means they are unlikely to develop body hair and are less prone to skin conditions like acne. But society is often unkind to people with such disorders.

Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor