#Causes of Male and Female Infertility

[healixhospitals24]

Male vs. Female Infertility: Key Differences and Solutions

Infertility is a growing concern for many couples worldwide, with both men and women equally affected. Understanding male vs. female infertility is crucial in diagnosing and addressing reproductive health challenges. While both genders can experience fertility issues, the causes, diagnostic methods, and treatments differ significantly. In this blog, we will explore the causes of male and female infertility, diagnostic approaches, and available treatments to help individuals make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

[mylordshesacactus]

on endlings, and despair

Hey, y'all. It's...been a rough couple of weeks. So, I thought--better to light a single candle, right?

If you're familiar with wildlife conservation success stories, then you're likely also familiar with their exact polar opposite. The Northern White Rhino. Conservation's poster child for despair. Our greatest and most high-profile utter failure. We slaughtered them for wealth and status, and applied the brakes too slow. Changed course too late.

We poured everything we had into trying to save them, and we failed.

We lost them. They died. The last surviving male was named Sudan. He died in 2018, elderly and sick. His genetic material is preserved, along with frozen semen from other long-dead males, but only as an exercise in futility. Only two females survive--a mother and daughter, Najin and Fatu.

Both of them are infertile. They still live; but the Northern White Rhinoceros is extinct. Gone forever.

In 2023, an experimental procedure was attempted, a hail-mary desperation play to extract healthy eggs from the surviving females.

It worked.

The extracted eggs were flown to a genetics lab, and artificially fertilized using the sperm of lost Northern males. The frozen semen that we kept, all this time, even after we knew that the only living females were incapable of becoming pregnant.

It worked.

Thirty northern white rhino embryos were created and cryogenically preserved, but with no ability to do anything with them, it was a thin hope at best. In 2024, for the first time, an extremely experimental IVF treatment was attempted on a SOUTHERN white rhino--a related subspecies.

It worked.

The embryo transplanted as part of the experiment had no northern blood--but the pregnancy took. The surgery was safe for the mother. The fetus was healthy. The procedure is viable. Surrogate Southern candidates have already been identified to carry the Northern embryos. Rhinoceros pregnancies are sixteen months long, and the implantation hasn't happened yet. It will take time, before we know. Despair is fast and loud. Hope is slower, softer. Stronger, in the end.

The first round may not take. We'll learn from it. It's what we do. We'll try again. Do better, the next time. Fail again, maybe. Learn more. Try harder.

This will not save the species. Not overnight. The numbers will be very low, with no genetic diversity to speak of. It's a holding action, nothing more.

Nothing less.

One generation won't save a species. But even a single calf will buy us time. Not quite gone, not yet. One more generation. One more endling. One more chance. And if we seize it, we might just get another after that. We're getting damn good at gene editing. At stem-cell research. In the length of a single rhino lifetime, we'll get even better.

For decades, we have been in a holding action with no hope in sight. Researchers, geneticists, environmentalists, wildlife rehabbers. Dedicated and heroic Kenyan rangers have kept the last surviving NWRs under 24/7 armed guard, line-of-sight, eyes-on, never resting, never relaxing their guard. Knowing, all the while, that their vigilance was for nothing. Would save nothing. This is a dead species--an elderly male, two females so closely related that their offspring couldn't interbreed even if they could produce any--and they can't.

Northern white rhino conservation was the most devastatingly hopeless cause in the world.

Two years from now, that dead species may welcome a whole new generation.

It's a holding action, just a holding action, but not "just". There is a monument, at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where the last white rhinos have lived and will die. It was created at the point where we knew--not believed, knew--that the species was past all hope. It memorializes, by name there were so few, the last of the northern white rhinos. Most of the markers have brief descriptions--where the endling rhino lived, how it was rescued, how it died.

One marker bears only these words: SUDAN | Last male Northern White Rhino.

If even a single surrogate someday bears a son, we have erased the writing on that plaque forever.

All we can manage is a holding action? Then we hold. We hold hard and fast and long, use our fingernails if we have to. But hold. Even and perhaps especially when we are past all hope.

We never know what miracle we might be buying time for.

[planbfertility]

Causes of Infertility in Men and Women

Explore the infertility causes in men and women! Discover why conception becomes a challenge for many couples. From low sperm count and abnormal sperm shape to ovulation disorders and age-related factors, we unveil the complexities. Explore potential treatments for these issues. If you're struggling to conceive, our fertility experts at Plan B Fertility can help. Book an appointment today for personalized guidance.

[identifying-deer-in-posts]

Right, so:

Intersex Deer

and just some variations. Obviously not a comprehensive list, only a few examples of how it can present in deer across species. Some of these sources contain images of dead animals (labeled DA) or outdated language for intersex conditions (OL)! Please keep that in mind before clicking the links.

First up, antlered does:

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

So put incredibly simply, all cervids (except for water deer) are capable of antler growth, as the stem cells that generate them are present even in females. However, in those cervids (except reindeer/caribou), those cells only activate with heightened testosterone. Usually only males can produce enough, but rarely, so can a female. Their antlers tend to be spindly and narrow, if they grow larger than spikes, and remain covered in velvet year-round. They rarely, if ever drop them, unlike their male counterparts, which regrow their antlers annually.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

This is most commonly documented in members of the Odocoileus genus, such as these whitetails, and in the Capreolus genus, namely western roe deer. Like the doe above, these deer are typically capable of reproducing, and often behave like other females of their species, i.e. staying in female-only herds. Their heightened testosterone can be linked to hormonal imbalances, malformed or underdeveloped reproductive organs, or tumors/cysts on their ovaries. The latter occurs most often in older individuals, and has also been documented in elk, red deer, and moose (like this cow, which was spotted with a calf near Nome, Alaska).

Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas)

High testosterone has even been documented in the aforementioned water deer, causing does to grow elongated fangs (DA, OL). These does, like females of other species with permanent velvet antlers, were still capable of producing offspring. While they were expected to exceed the standard weight for does, they were actually smaller.

However, not all antlered does can reproduce, and not all have permanent velvet. In extremely rare cases, their antlers can harden and shed. This leads to the next set of conditions, which unfortunately I don't have pictures for: visibly intersex animals, externally, internally, or both.

A vast majority of visibly intersex deer are discovered via hunting; therefore, intersex whitetails and roe deer (DA) are (still) the best studied. These deer can have any combination of sex organs, such as an individual with a vulva, cervix, testes, and more (DA, OL). Their antlers can be velvet or hardened, though they're often malformed. They may exhibit behaviors of both sexes, including breeding behaviors; while I couldn't find much regarding their reproductive ability, most are likely infertile. There's still a lot to study regarding these guys, especially in poorly-researched species like muntjacs, brockets, and hog deer.

Finally, the most common form of intersex in deer: cryptorchidism. This is a condition where one or both testicles don't descend properly, or are otherwise malformed. It causes male deer to grow wonky antlers, referred to as "cactus antlers," "Devil's antlers," and, for moose, velericorn antlers (also used for antlered cow moose). They shed them at odd times, and, like for this individual, they might even crumble away rather than pop off cleanly.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (OL)

These deer may have little interest in mating, scraping, self-urinating or other breeding behaviors due to a lack of testosterone, or even prefer the company of females year-round. They may look more feminine, like this elk found in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which I believe to be a bull with cryptorchidism or another hormonal imbalance.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Like many animals, including humans, deer have so much variation in appearance, behavior, and yes, sexual characteristics. Even with strong dimorphism, biology is never binary.

[ranfordgallus]

Since Donita is a siren it make sense for her henchman to be an aquatic creature too..

In the fantkrattical AU, Kelpies are known by human travelers to be dangerous for their dangerously handsome human appearance meant to lure people with their beauty...and lead them to their last breath once they form into their true selves

this is true for the kelpfolks, they are known to eat...humans. And such like calico cats, its super rare for a kelpfolk to be women. kelpfolks are born from between a centaur and a siren, creating a kelpie! Their shape shifting ability from kelpie to human is from the siren genes, sirens are known to look more human to also lure them with their beauty to kill them. Male sirens are rare too and so if a male siren mates with a female centaur, it creates a female kelpie. Unfortunately, kelpfolks are infertile, similar to ligers or tigons.. they are hybrids, so their eggs is impossible to be fertile, even if they can be fertile, their offspring will have complications during and after birth

So yeah, that makes kelpfolks a super rare species, yet...very dangerous..

Dabikelp is goofy and troubling, not because of his species being a hybrid, it does not cause brain problems just because they are hybrids...he's just a fun goofy guy, just a fun lil henchman

[intersex-support]

Intersex Support FAQ

1. What is intersex?

Intersex is an umbrella term that describes people who have variations in sex characteristics that fall outside of the sex binary. This includes variations in genitals, internal reproductive organs like testes and ovaries, chromosomes, secondary sex characteristics, and/or the way that your body produces or responds to hormones. Some examples of intersex variations include AIS, CAH, PCOS, Klinefelters, hypospadias, and more. 

The three main factors that define intersex variations are: 

Variation in sex characteristics 

The variation falls outside of the sex binary and is different from what is considered typical “male” or “female” development. These variations in traits might often be stigmatized and discriminated against for being outside of the sex binary.

This variation is either present from birth or develops spontaneously later in life. It is not caused by transitioning or by something temporary like a medication side effect, tumor, or other medical diagnosis. 

(This definition is inspired by InterACT).

2. Does ____ count as intersex? 

There are around 40 different intersex variations that are currently known. InterACT”s intersex variation glossary lists out those intersex variations and gives a brief description of each one.

However, we know that isn’t a complete list. People have intersex variations that haven’t been medically researched yet, or might have a rare variation that the intersex community isn’t aware of yet. 

There are also some variations that might seem on the border between perisex and intersex. Some types of hormonal or reproductive diagnoses might not have a clear answer on whether they’re intersex or not. 

Ultimately,  intersex is a social/political identity rather than a strictly medical one. Increased research and changing social attitudes can cause the definition of intersex to expand over time. Regardless of whether someone has a confirmed intersex variation or an “intersex adjacent” diagnosis, if intersex resources are helpful to you, we hope that you continue to use them and act in solidarity with the intersex community. 

On this blog, we do include PCOS with hyperandrogenism as part of the intersex community. Check out our PCOS tag for more posts about our reasoning, and PCOS specific resources.

3. Am I intersex?

We cannot diagnose you with an intersex variation over the internet. We can share resources such as the intersex variations glossary, share tips for navigating the medical system, and share information on other non-clinical signs of being intersex. 

Some questions to ask yourself that can help you start the process of intersex discovery:

What do my sex traits (genitalia, secondary sex characteristics, hormone levels, etc) look like? Does this seem like it lines up with the “typical” descriptions of those sex traits? 

Do I have any information about my birth? Were there any complications? Did doctors do extra testing at birth? Did doctors take me away from my parents for long periods of time? Did it take me longer to have my sex assigned at birth?

What was puberty like for me? Did I have early or late puberty? Did I have to go on hormones to start puberty? Did I have any variations in puberty, such as unexpected breast growth, irregular periods, or other changes? Did I go through puberty at all?

If you’ve tried to have children, are you infertile or struggling with fertility?

Did I have any unexplained surgeries or medical procedures as a child? Was I ever told I had to have organs removed and was told it was because of a cancer risk? Did I have to be on specific medications or hormones throughout my childhood? Did I have to go see a doctor more frequently? Did I go to an endocrinologist or pediatric urologist as a child? 

Do I have surgery scars or scar tissue? Do I have more frequent UTIs than typical?

Do I have access to my medical records? Is there records of hormone panels, ultrasounds, physical exams, surgeries, or other medical procedures? 

This kind of information can help you start to piece together if you think you might have an intersex variation, or if you think your intersex variation was hidden from you. 

If you’re sending in an ask trying to figure out if your symptoms line up with a specific intersex variation, please share as much information as you’re comfortable with so that we can answer with the most helpful resources. 

4. Can I self diagnose as intersex? 

It’s complicated! Intersex is different from other LGBTQIA identities, in that it’s not only about self determination, but also about our embodied experience in a very specific way. In order to be intersex, you have to have an intersex variation. And there are many intersex variations that can only be confirmed through medical testing, so it’s not something that is easy to self-diagnose.

However, we recognize that the medical system is expensive, discriminatory, and often actively hides information about people’s intersex variations from them. (it wasn’t even until 2006 that the AAP stopped recommending that doctors lie to their patients about intersex status, so many intersex adults were born before that policy change!) Considering all that we know about intersex oppression, curative violence, and medical abuse, it feels incredibly cruel to tell people that they have to force themself through that system in order to seek answers. 

So, we understand that there are ways of finding out that you are intersex without having a specific, confirmed, medical diagnosis. Many of us might find out that we’re intersex because we realize that our genitalia visibly looks different, and we can tell that we are intersex, even if we don’t know our specific diagnosis. Others might find out that we’re intersex because of strange discrepancies in our medical record. We might find out through discovering surgery scars on our body. We might go through puberty and realize that we’re developing in an atypical way to our peers. We might do a lot of research into intersex variations and have a pretty good guess into what variation lines up with our experiences. We might have some test results that help us understand we have intersex traits, even if we don’t know our specific diagnosis.  

Before self diagnosing, we think it’s important to do thorough research into intersex variations, so that you truly understand what intersex means, what intersex variations exist, and understand how that information applies to yourself. It’s also important to be considerate of how we interact in community spaces, and respect other intersex people's boundaries as you engage in a questioning or diagnosis process. 

5.  Are intersex people trans?

Some intersex people are trans, and some aren’t. Most intersex people are still assigned a gender at birth, and many intersex people who are raised as one gender and then later identify as another gender identify with the label trans. Intersex people can be cis or trans just like any other group of people. 

Many intersex people have complicated relationships with gender, and don’t feel like labels like cis or trans really fit their experiences. For this reason, terms like intergender and ipsogender were coined.

6. Are intersex people LGBTQIA?

It’s complicated! The “I” in LGBTQIA stands for intersex. Intersex history is intertwined with other parts of queer history. For example, the very first protest for intersex people in the United States was organized by Hermaphrodites with Attitude and Transexual Menace. There are intersex inclusive versions of community pride flags. Many intersex people view their intersex identity as a queer identity. Intersex oppression overlaps in many ways with homophobia and transphobia. 

However, not all intersex people think that intersex should be included in the LGBTQIA community. Sometimes this is for bigoted reasons, with intersex radfems who use this stance as a way to be transphobic. But there are also intersex people who think that the “I” should only be included in the acronym when intersex people are actually meaningfully being included in queer spaces and resources. Many of us feel frustrated when people put “LGBTQIA” on a resource but then don’t actually have any intersex specific information in those resources. 

In general, this is an ongoing intracommunity discussion where we don’t have a consensus. 

7. Are intersex people disabled? 

It’s complicated! Intersex is an umbrella term for many different experiences, and there is not one universal intersex experience. Some intersex people identify as disabled. Some intersex people do not.

Many intersex variations do cause disabling impacts in our bodies and lives. Some intersex variations are comorbid with other health conditions. Other intersex people become disabled because of violent normalizing interventions we’ve survived, such as forced surgery or other types of medical abuse. 

Intersex people are also impacted by many of the same structures of oppression that harm disabled people. Both intersex people and disabled people are harmed by ableism. Both intersex people and disabled people are harmed by pathologization. Both intersex people and disabled people are harmed by curative violence. 

In the book Cripping Intersex, Celeste Orr explores all these concepts and creates something called “intersex is/and/as/with disability,” which is a model to think about all these different and sometimes conflicting relationships with disability. Some intersex people might identify directly as disabled. Others might sometimes think about the way that intersex is treated as a disability. Other intersex people might think about intersex and disability as a way to have solidarity. All of these relationships with disability are meaningful parts of the intersex community. 

8. What is intersex oppression/intersexism/interphobia/compulsory dyadism? 

Intersex people face a lot of oppression in many ways in society. At the core, intersex oppression relies on the idea that the only acceptable sex traits are sex traits that fit into the sex binary. Intersex oppression relies on mythical ideas of the “ideal male or female” body, where someone's chromosomes perfectly line up with their genitalia and internal reproductive organs, with perfectly normal hormone levels and perfect secondary sex characteristics that don’t have any variation. When people don’t fit into that “perfect” sex binary, they are seen as less valuable, abnormal, and threatening. There is then a societal pressure to eradicate any traits and people that fall outside of the sex binary, which causes a lot of targeted discrimination of intersex people. This form of oppression is called “compulsory dyadism,” and was coined by Celeste Orr. 

Compulsory dyadism is also rooted in, overlaps with, and is the foundation for many other types of oppression. For example, ableism is another form of oppression that creates ways of harming people whose bodies and minds are labeled as less valuable for societally constructed reasons. Check out Talila Lewis’s definition of ableism for more information. Another example is how racialized people are targeted by sex testing policies in sports--both intersex and perisex women of color are consistently targeted by sex testing policies designed to exclude intersex people from sports. Another example is that homophobia and transphobia contribute to why intersex bodies are seen as threats that need to be eradicated--society views existing with intersex sex traits as a slippery slope to growing up as a gay or trans adult. Compulsory dyadism is also at the root of a lot of transphobic rhetoric about how transitioning “ruins” people’s bodies. All these forms of oppression are connected. 

There are a lot of ways that compulsory dyadism causes intersex people to be targeted and discriminated against. A huge issue is nonconsensual surgeries at birth, that attempt to “normalize” ambiguous genitalia, remove intersex people’s gonads, and otherwise alter genitalia or internal structures. These surgeries are often referred to as intersex genital mutilation, or IGM. These surgeries do not have any medical necessity, but doctors lobby to continue to be allowed to perform them anyway. These surgeries can sterilize intersex people, cause lifelong trauma, and also cause many disabling medical complications. Alongside IGM, intersex people also face a lot of different types of medical abuse. 

Besides curative violence and medical abuse, intersex people also face discrimination in our schools, jobs, and public places. We face legal discrimination in changing our names and sex markers. We face discrimination from institutions like CPS, which often target parents, especially people of color, that refuse to put their children through intersex genital mutilation. Many intersex people survive targeted sexual violence. We have a widespread lack of resources, visibility, and representation. Many people still have prejudiced ideas about intersex people and call us slurs. These are just a few examples of the many way that interphobia/intersexism show up in our lives. 

9. What is intersex justice? 

Intersex justice is a framework created by intersex activists through the Intersex Justice Project as a way to fight for intersex liberation. 

“Intersex justice is a decolonizing framework that affirms the labor of intersex people of color fighting for change across social justice movements. By definition, intersex justice affirms bodily integrity and bodily autonomy as the practice of liberation. Intersex justice is intrinsically tied to justice movements that center race, ability, gender identity & expression, migrant status, and access to sexual & reproductive healthcare. Intersex justice articulates a commitment to these movements as central to its intersectional analysis and praxis. Intersex justice acknowledges the trauma caused by medically unnecessary and nonconsensual cosmetic genital surgeries and addresses the culture of shame, silence and stigma surrounding intersex variations that perpetuate further harm.

The marginalization of intersex people is rooted in colonization and white supremacy. Colonization created a taxonomy of human bodies that privileged typical white male and female bodies, prescribing a gender binary that would ultimately harm atypical black and indigenous bodies. As part of a liberation movement, intersex activists challenge not only the medical establishment, which is often the initial site of harm, but also governments, institutions, legal structures, and sociocultural norms that exclude intersex people. Intersex people should be allowed complete and uninhibited access to obtaining identity documents, exercising their birth and adoption rights, receiving unbiased healthcare, and securing education and employment opportunities that are free from harm and harassment.” (Source: Dr. Mel Michelle Lewis through the Intersex Justice Project.)

There are seven principles to intersex justice: 

Informed consent

Reparations

Legal protections

Accountability

Language

Children's rights

Patient-centered healthcare

10. What is intergender? 

Intergender is a gender identity for use by intersex people only. It doesn’t have one specific definition-it is used by intersex people to mean a whole variety of things. It’s used to describe the unique ways our intersex experience intersects with and influences our gender.  Some people use it as a modifying term, such as calling themselves an intergender man or woman, as a way to explain the way being intersex affects their identity. Other people identify solely as intergender, and have that be their whole gender. 

11. What is dyadic/perisex/endosex? 

All are words that mean “not intersex.” Different groups will have different preferences on which one they like to use. 

12. Is hermaphrodite an offensive term? 

Yes. It is an incredibly offensive slur that perisex people should never say. Many intersex people have a very painful history with the slur. Some of us reclaim the term, which can be an important act of healing and celebration for us.

12. Can perisex people follow? 

Feel free, but understand that questions by intersex people are prioritized! Anyone is welcome to follow.

13. I’m writing a character who’s intersex…

Check out this post:  https://trans-axolotl.tumblr.com/post/188153640308/intersex-representation. If you’re writing about intersex people for a paid project, you should pay an intersex person to act as a sensitivity reader before publishing. 

Check out our Resources and Intersex Organizations pages as well!

[mau-mao]

4 Ways a Male Cat Can Be Tricolor

The X chromosome in cats determine their fur color. This gene has two alleles, one for orange fur (XB) and one for black fur (Xb). Females carry two X's and males carry one X, allowing female cats to have two colors while restricting male cats to one. Therefore, it is extremely rare for calico males to exist!

Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY)

Male cats with an extra chromosome (X)

Allows for the expression of both orange and black pigments

Infertile

Extra X chromosome interferes with sperm production

Chimerism

Two embryos fuse together early in development, leading to a single individual with cells from both embryos

Allows for tricolor pattern in males

Sometimes fertile (depends on if the combination affected the reproductive organs)

Only one of their colors will be passed on to offspring

Mosaicism

Individual cat has two or more genetically different types of cells within their body

XXY cells and XY cells found in the body

Sometimes fertile

Only one of their colors will be passed on to offspring

Birthmark

Might be a patch of a different color or shade on the skin or fur

Does not result in a true tricolor pattern, but still causes variations in fur color

Fertile

Birthmark color does not affect offspring color

[avengernomore]

"Guess I had more faith in you that you did, then." He leant over, placing a soft kiss upon Sakura's forehead. "You did wonderfully, Sakura, fractures aside.

"It's more the invasions of privacy and borderline harassment that I remember." Sasuke said. "Hence why I hope Mio doesn't have to deal with that. If he does, I might have to teach him specifically to not allow people to disrespect his boundaries." He sighed a little, leaning back a bit, rocking Mio gently in his arms.

"Pfft, I'm sure Mio will be very impressed by his father passing out into another woman's breasts right after he was born." He rolled his eyes. "Sounds like the sort of story you might break out when you're upset with me." He teased.

He rolled his eyes as she demanded that she get the biggest slice of cake. "I'm not fond of sweet things, remember? You can have the entire cake if you want, I got it for you in any case."

He gave Sakura's hair a gentle stroke as she talked about the next time. "Guess I'd better stock up on condoms then, huh?" He said, giving a soft chuckle. "Or are you planning on going on birth control yourself?" As far as he was aware, there was no 'male birth control', but if there was, he would be open to taking it.

Well, he did know of one way, but that was intended to be a more permanent solution.

"Oh, Ino, I never say never, I'm sure it'll happen again a some point. I'm sure there is a guy out there just waiting for you to find them." He smiled a little, before almost bursting out in laughter as Ino said it sounded like he was proposing a threesome. The only thing that was stopping him from laughing loudly was Mio in his arms, he managed to hold it back to a few chuckles.

"Oh, I was just following your lead, Ino... I wasn't aware you had your mind in the gutter." Although if Sasuke was being honest, he wouldn't say no either, as long as Sakura was ok with it. "If you stay long enough tomorrow, you will at least get a slice of cake. I'm sure Sakura won't begrudge you it, even if she was planning on eating the entire cake herself." He teased Sakura, giving her a gentle nudge.

"Ah, well, sometimes the best thing in life are surprises, aren't they?" He smiled, looking down at the baby in his arms. "Our little Mio Uchiha..."

"I had every faith in you that you wouldn't crush my hand completely. You're way tougher than I am, especially when it comes to pain." That was the drawback of him having a more slight and slim frame that most of his comrades, he was nowhere near as good at taking a hit as some of them.

"Oh god, I hope not." He groaned a little. "A fangirl army is something no-one should have to deal with... I suppose that a 'fangirl' did eventually become my wife-to-be, but still." He rested his head against Sakura's gently.

His smile widened as Mio was placed in his arms, a wide, genuine smile, stroking Mio's hair gently.

"...He's beautiful. I think he definitely takes more after you in that regard, though." He smiled a little, listening to Sakura and Ino a bit as he held him, supressing his chuckles so as not to disturb Mio's sleep.

"Sounds like I passed out at completely the wrong time then, huh?" He joked.

"I think the cake and presents might have to wait until tomorrow, once you've had a little rest. Don't want you passing out into your cake, after all." He said, softly, humming softly as he gently rocked Mio in his arms, unable to stop himself smirking a little as Ino teased Sakura how she looked when pregnant.

"Ino's got a point, you did look absolutely radiant and beautiful when you were with child... I'm sure Ino looked almost as good when she was pregnant too, though. Almost as good." He teased, sticking his tongue out playfully at Ino.

"Oh my, you want us to repay the favour? Hmmm, I'm sure we can manage that somehow or other~" He teased Ino back, turning his attention back to Mio. "...I still can't believe we made something so beautiful, Sakura..."

[schizononagesimus]

Dare I ask, what's omegaverse?

oh my god i feel like my kid just came home from school and asked me what sex was.

i ain't a "give you a book and figure it out yourself" kinda mom, so we're doin this. here we go.

omegaverse is a kind of slash fic that imagines a hierarchy similar to what wolves have in which you have the dominant alphas, the neutral betas, and the submissive omegas. the universe imagines that these are biological genders in addition to male and female--known as secondary gender--and thus create a different set of social norms/hierarchy. these additional genders are referred to as "maturation," and become evident ("presentation") around the age of thirteen after having already presented as their primary gender (male or female).

omegaverse is formerly known as a/b/o, which we stopped using because it's too similar to a slur for aboriginal australians, but i thought it was important to note 'cause you'll see it around sometimes.

let me clarify before i continue that they're not werewolves. however, historically, the omegaverse originates from a Supernatural fic in which werewolf dynamics were combined with mpreg. however (and confusing that a bit), in the omegaverse there are packs as family (though this depends on the fic). and on the mpreg note, most omegaverse fic is m/m.

let's get into it with more definitions!

alphas - usually larger physically, aggressive demeanor. dominant. have ruts, in which they are periodically affected by the urge to breed--sometimes this can happen as a response to omegas having being in heat (aka estrus)--more on that later. ruts last (in my experience) 3-7 days, and the alpha cannot control or ignore their rut; the rut additionally makes them even more aggressive than usual. alphas can furthermore command and basically everyone follows the command--though nonverbal commands can sometimes be resisted (more on how they might non-verbally command later). we also uhh... gotta talk about alpha dicks later (see: knotting).

betas - literally just normal fucking people. this is also most people.

omegas - smaller physically, gentle demeanor. submissive and breedable. have heats, in which there is a crazy high chance of pregnancy, and all they want is to be bred and they act kinda stupid (literally like they can't cook or clean or NOTHING). the decisions an omega in heat makes are entirely out of desperation and not to be acted on. at the beginning of a heat, the vaginal walls ache and their body temperature goes up. but first? pre-heat! also about a week long, an omega prepares a nest where they'll feel safe; usually blankets, things that smell like loved ones, clothes, food and water. during pre-heat, omegas are totally cognizant, and may invite an alpha or beta to share their nest for their heat. after a heat, an omega is usually pretty wiped and will eat a lot--this shit expends mad energy.

gamma - pretty rare, but im explaining it anyway because they have neo pronouns??? and it sometimes isn't explained that someone is a gamma it's just assumed from the fact that the author is using ze/zer/zim. but this is a third primary gender in which someone will either mature into a female alpha or a male omega, so since the gender is unknown, they are referred to with ze/zim pronouns before their maturation. they're born with both sets of genitalia and a uterus; so they're infertile if they later present as an alpha, and fertile if they present as an omega.

there are also enigmas (literally once every generation; demeanor and physicality just alphas on steroids). deltas are literally just alphas who can't command. i haven't often encountered gammas, enigmas, or deltas in fics personally.

two of the defining features of the omegaverse are scent glands and knotting.

scent glands - residing in the base of the neck and wrists, the scent glands... well, they smell. omegas smell good, alphas are usually described as having an oppressive smell, betas also smell but it's incredibly subdued. the smell of an alpha is always more evident than others. the smell can attract a mate; closer to an omega's heat, their scent becomes gradually more potent. an alpha's smell can tell others that they're in a rut. alphas can issue a non-verbal command that can be ignored (by some people) via their scent glands.

knotting - alpha dicks have this thing very astutely called the "bulbus glandis" (creative, right), referred to as the knot. it's uhh, it's a knot on the base of their dick. basically, it inflates during sex and locks into the vaginal walls and traps the cum inside for max chance of pregnancy. this by itself is fine, but the best part is that the alpha and whoever get stuck together for a period of time. the period of time varies from fic to fic, but i've seen everywhere from 15 minutes to three hours. tbh it's fucking great, it can be really funny and unhelpful or horrible i hate you get out of me or really sweet depending on the ship dynamic. the knot "deflating" is often referred to as "the knot going down."

here's a purposely shitty example to give you an idea of what this looks like:

"i'm the omega and i'm in heat ahh i'm so horny!" "i'm the alpha and i'm in an uncontrollable rut and this omega smells so good! i'm gonna get this omega pregnant! graaaah! [aggro alpha noises]" [probably pretty kinky sex, 'cause there's d/s dynamics here, but varies from fic to fic] "the alpha came inside me and we have to wait for the knot to go down, aww nuts!" [PREGNANT]

aaaand scene.

[prolifeproliberty]

What are your thoughts on men who divorce their wives if they discover that she’s infertile? A lot of men on Twitter believe it’s ok because to them the only purpose of marriage is to have their own biological children.

It’s not Biblical, that’s for sure.

“And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭3‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Infertility is hard, but it’s part of the “in sickness and in health, for better or for worse” from the marriage vows.

Having children is a blessing, but it’s not the only purpose of marriage.

[evidence-based-activism]

I’m really tired of seeing all the ‘PCOS is an intersex disorder’ posts and think they’re extremely offensive to women with PCOS.

Please can you clarify that it is not (or if it miraculously is, I guess.)

Hello! You're correct PCOS is not an "intersex disorder".

First, what is an "intersex disorder"?

Currently, to my knowledge, there's a shift towards using disorders/differences of sex development (DSDs) rather than "intersex".

A DSD is a very specific group of medical conditions which is "restricted to those conditions in which chromosomal sex is inconsistent with phenotypic sex, or in which the phenotype is not classifiable as either male or female" [1].

The possible point of confusion is "phenotypic sex", in this context, this refers to primary sex characteristics (internal and external genitalia) not secondary sex characteristics (breast growth, hair growth, etc.). This is important because both primary sex characteristics and DSDs are present from birth. Although, in some cases, they may not be identified until later in life, they are still present at birth.

How does this relate to PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that only affects female people that affects secondary sex characteristics (e.g., cause male-pattern hair growth/loss). It can also affect the function of primary sex characteristics (e.g., cause infertility), but it does not affect the development or appearance of primary sex characteristics. [2]

Therefore,

Women with PCOS do not have a mismatch in genotypic (chromosomal) sex and phenotypic sex (primary sex organs). That is, they have XX chromosomes without any Y-chromosome translocations and a female-typical vulva/ovaries/uterus/etc. The fact that women with PCOS have irregular periods does not negate the fact that their uterus developed normally. In other words, problems with organ function are not equivalent to problems with organ structure/development.

They also do not have ambiguous genitalia; they have female-typical sex organs at birth. Notably, female-typical has a wider range than the commonly held (and misogynistic) “ideal”, but in all cases they are clearly identifiable as a vulva rather than a penis/scrotum.

The age of onset of PCOS is anytime after puberty, and therefore, not at birth. It is an endocrine (hormonal) condition, and no more a DSD than ovarian hyperthecosis, hypothyroidism, or hyperprolactinemia which all produce similar symptoms to PCOS (among many other conditions). [3-5]

Despite claims to the contrary, women with PCOS do not have "male-typical" testosterone levels. The average testosterone level is actually well within the healthy female range and even the upper-end of the PCOS range is around half the lower-limit of the healthy male range. This makes the primary evidentiary claim for PCOS being a DSD (i.e., "testosterone levels between men and women!") invalid. (This claim is also based on the incorrect, and intersexist, belief that people with a DSD are "between" or "neither" male or female.) [6]

All other arguments I can find for PCOS being a DSD appear to be based on:

The belief that we must expand the definition of DSDs to prevent discrimination. This is both logically inconsistent (i.e., we have no evidence that increasing the size of a minority group would reduce discrimination) and philosophically concerning (i.e., this rests on the belief/assumption that we can/should do nothing to reduce discrimination of very rare minority groups).

People's feelings about having PCOS/beliefs about people's feelings about having PCOS. This is wrapped up in postmodernist worldviews, and essentially posits that if people feel they are "between" sexes they should be treated as if they are, despite no material evidence supporting this feeling. (And, again, this also rests on the incorrect and intersexist belief that people with a DSD are "between" sexes.)

A related belief that that if people identify as intersex, we must affirm this identity. Again, this is wrapped up in the same postmodernist worldview, and all the standard criticisms apply.

Conclusion

All in all, there is no medical or material evidence that PCOS is a DSD. The philosophical arguments to the contrary relies postmodernist logic that rejects reality in favor of identity and being in favor of feeling. These arguments also rely on offensive stereotypes and beliefs about people with DSDs/intersex people.

I hope this helps you, Anon!

References below the cut:

Sax, L. (2002). How common is lntersex? A response to Anne Fausto‐Sterling. Journal of sex research, 39(3), 174-178.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome): Symptoms & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8316-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos.

Shah, Sanket, et al. “Diagnostic Challenges in Ovarian Hyperthecosis: Clinical Presentation with Subdiagnostic Testosterone Levels.” Case Reports in Endocrinology, vol. 2022, Jan. 2022, p. 9998807. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9998807.

“Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid).” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12120-hypothyroidism.

“Hyperprolactinemia: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22284-hyperprolactinemia.

Clark, Richard V., et al. “Large Divergence in Testosterone Concentrations between Men and Women: Frame of Reference for Elite Athletes in Sex‐specific Competition in Sports, a Narrative Review.” Clinical Endocrinology, vol. 90, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 15–22. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1111/cen.13840.

[elric-art]

The definition of Homunculus is “a very small human or humanoid creature”.

You know who else is a very small human/humanoid creature?

According to my research which was done in under 5 minutes because God forbid I actually stick to something for more than said time no thanks to my lack of dopamine, Homunculi are described as small humans with large eyes, lips, hands, feet, and (irrelevant) nether regions, and they can either have superhuman or supernatural abilities.

In this case, the limbs are a metaphor for the five senses and sensory perception.

Who else has large (and distinctly colored) eyes?

Who else has large lips a big mouth?

Who else has (supernatural) hands?

Who else has feet (that they use to occasionally think on)?

In conclusion: Edward Elric is a fucking Homunculus. End of story.

UPDATE:

Thanks to @safyro’s addition, we have both concluded that the effects of the Philosopher’s stone causes infertility on both male and possibly even female humans although the only female we have to prove this theory is Lust who is already unable to reproduce by natural means, therefore enforcing the idea that both Elric brothers are in fact Homunculi.

How they managed to break the cycle upon the ending of Brotherhood is unknown, for all we know, Ed could’ve figured out he was infertile and turned to the dark arts and is slowly dying much like his teacher before Hohenheim intervened.

[pineapplerightsideupcake]

u do know cis women can be born with xy chromosomes. and yes, they will be assigned female at birth. also cis men can have xxy(yes, xxy) chromosomes and assigned male at birth? anyways, trans women are women,and u just want an excuse to hate minorities.

XXY males are just fully male. They don’t even have ambiguous genitals. From a cursory internet search

As for XY women, that is CAIS or Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. Wherein the cells don’t respond to masculinizing hormones during fetal development. Babies born with CAIS have a female phenotype but a male karyotype. CAIS is therefore typically discovered during puberty when the body doesn’t begin to menstruate or go through other expected stages of sexual development. This is because there is no uterus, a shallow vaginal canal, and undescended testes rather than ovaries. They are of course infertile.

Because women with CAIS have a female phenotype body they are usually raised as girls. It is phenotype that determines how we are classed as male or female and therefore I would posit that people with CAIS are female. Some may disagree and indeed as far as science is concerned this is a male disorder of sexual development.

Now here’s the part that really matters:

99.99% of all human beings have a phenotype that matches their karyotype. The vast VAST majority of trans people have an unambiguous sex.

CAIS cases result in a vulva and vagina, not some third thing.

There is no third gamete in human beings. Genitals that are ambiguous at birth still belong to either a male or female body.

Intersex conditions are not evidence of a third sex, nor do they disprove the gender binary. For the same reason a baby born without kidneys doesn’t “disprove” that humans are meant to have two. Because inevitably intersex conditions do not result in a fully functional body. Besides infertility, many intersex conditions come with other health issues ranging from things like endocrine disorders to intellectual disabilities.

Stop using people’s medical conditions as gotchas when 99.9% of trans people are perrisex.

Edited because I was unaware of XX men (caused by a very interesting case of the X chromosome inherited from the father absorbing enough of the Y to transfer the SRY gene)

[svt-rosalie]

. . . ♡ ROSIE ! ? 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏻 TRIVIA ★ ﾟ๑

ׁ ׅ ୨ ❪ profile! ❫ ୧ ⊹ ࣪

© 2024 , svt-rosalie rosalie masterlist!

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie always wanted to become a ballet dancer since she was a child, being an idol was a spure of the moment decision when she saw a video of SNSD performing once.

𝜗𝜚. Her aunt is well known in the kpop community seeing as how she owns the company ‘UTOPIA ENTERTAINMENT’ that manages the groups New Jeans, IVE, and ITGIRLZ.

𝜗𝜚. In 2021 Rosalie did resign a contract with Pledis Entertainment for her career with SEVENTEEN but the company has no power over her solo career, her Aunt’s company controls her solo career.

𝜗𝜚. Jihye does not drink alcohol often, whenever she does she basically has to have a babysitter because of everything she gets into.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie is one of the youngest musicians and first ever female kpop artist to win a Grammy and an Oscar.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie was invited to headline Coachella 2 years in a row but she declined each time.

𝜗𝜚. She likes to play video games so she can collect all the skins. For example, she’s amazing at playing Fortnite and Call Of Duty but mostly just plays for the skins and weapons. (Of course of her skins are pink)

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie featured on Taylor Swift’s album ‘Midnights’ on the song Snow On The Beach. This caused her to get a lot more recognition and attention towards her group once it released. She was even a surprise guest during the Eras Tour to perform the song on stage with Taylor. Rosie said it was one the most surreal moments of her career.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie is Korea’s best friend. She earned this title from bringing friends with almost of the idol/acting industry. She loves making new friends and likes to speak to anyone that will listen.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie likes to speak up often about mental health. In many live videos she’s spoken up about her struggles after her sister’s passing and how she’s been going to therapy since she started training as an idol.

𝜗𝜚. Rosie was a straight a student through her whole career. She carried a 4.0 GPA until she graduated high school and got accepted into a prestigious university where she takes online business classes.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie broke her hip after falling during a ballet performance. She was lifted into the air by her fellow male dancer and his grip slipped causing her to fall on her left hip. She has a some issues with her hip to this day, swelling and pain.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie had a slight school girl crush on Joshua when she was younger and just joined the company. She admitted it once in a live with him and it’s been a running joke in the fandom since.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie wrote her song ‘Good night My Princess’ whilst she was visiting her family. She was having an emotional night and even though she’s an adult she crawled into bed with her parents and they sang a lullaby to calm her down.

𝜗𝜚. Rosie loves sweets. Anything candy she will eat, she has a candy basket in her’s and woozi’s bedroom on her bedside table.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie wants to be a mom someday but unfortunately she is infertile due to some issues with her developmental when she was a fetus. She plans to adopt in the future.

𝜗𝜚. Rosalie was born prematurely. She was born 2 months early, doctors were worried she wasn’t going to make it but she pulled through after being on oxygen for 3 months. She would go to the doctor every month for a year or so to make sure she was doing okay.

𝜗𝜚. Rosie is engaged to fellow band member Woozi/Jihoon. Wedding plans are still the works.

taglist — @angie-x3 @alixnsuperstxr @allthings-fandoms @peachyaeger @sakufilms @aysxldea @swagcandyfun @wonwooz1 @s4nsmoon @seolarzone @miyx-amour @novwonia @marissa-11 @magicsoyeon @skzfairies

click here to join the taglist!

[intersex-support]

would you consider a microperforate hymen intersex, every argument i have seen about it has come across very dsd-adjacent language (so tired this ask might not make sense)

Hi anon!

So standard disclaimer that I am not the authority on who counts as intersex. I'm happy to share my opinions and explain what I think, but there are probably people out there with different opinions than me and that's okay. Part of this is also going to be about your perspective and how you view your own experiences.

When I think about the definition of intersex, the three main parts of the definition of intersex are:

a variation in chromosomes, gonads, internal reproductive organs, genitals, or hormones

This variation of sex traits lies outside of what is typically considered "male" or "female", and is impacted by intersex oppression/compulsory dyadism.

This variation of sex traits is lifelong, either present from birth or develops later in life, and is not caused as the side effect to a medication or by another temporary cause.

Intersex is a social/political identity that developed as an umbrella term to allow for people with similar experiences to connect and organize together because of the way that society categorized and treated our different variations. It's not a static definition with clear boundaries--it's a definition that shifts depending on context, new discoveries, and different societal dynamics. (if people are familiar with disability theory/models of disability, i think about it pretty similarly to those discussions about the definitions of disability.) It's an expanding definition that looks to be inclusive, so my definition of "who counts as intersex" is a LOT broader than most doctors. At the same time, it's also clear that not everyone is intersex--obviously most people are perisex, and at some point there has to be a line. Where it gets complicated is that that perisex/dyadic people also have a lot of variation in sex characteristics as well as various hormonal and reproductive disabilities. It's not like every perisex person has identical bodies and sex traits, and it's clear that there are some cases where reproductive health conditions can cause it to feel more borderline.

There are a lot of examples of variations in sex traits that do not meet the definition of intersex. Here are some examples:

people have all different penis sizes.

people have different amounts of body hair.

people have different levels of hormones even within the "typical" range.

people have different breast sizes.

some people are circumcised while others are uncircumcised.

There are also lots of examples of hormonal and reproductive diagnoses that are not intersex variations, even though they impact things like internal reproductive organs or hormones. Here are some examples:

diabetes is a hormonal condition, but insulin isn't a sex hormone and it doesn't impact sex traits.

Endometriosis impacts periods, uterine tissue, etc, but doesn't cause a variation of sex traits outside of the sex binary in a way that's impacted by interphobia.

Menopause causes hormonal changes, but those are not intersex, because those are considered a "typical" change within the sex binary.

Infertility is caused by lots of different diagnoses and impacts reproductive function, but doesn't cause a variation of sex traits outside of the sex binary in a way that is impacted by interphobia.

Some people with these kind of hormonal or reproductive diagnoses might have some overlapping experiences with intersex people that can be a really beautiful example of solidarity. People with diabetes also have to go to endocrinologists, and we might have similar complaints with endocrinology and our rights as patients. People with endometriosis might share tips with intersex people about how to deal with our painful and atypical periods. Intersex people might also be infertile, and we might be able to provide each other meaningful support in that way. I know some people with certain diagnoses that describe their diagnoses as "intersex adjacent" because of the amount of experiences that are similar, even if they don't face the same type of intersex oppression and don't identify as intersex.

So, how does microperforate hymen fit into all of this? To me, it seems like microperforate hymen more closely fits into the category of general reproductive health conditions, rather than an intersex variation. When we look at the three parts of the intersex definition, microperforate hymen is congenital and is a variation in genitalia, but it isn't a variation in genitalia that lies outside the sex binary and that is impacted by intersex oppression. That doesn't mean that you can't face challenges, that you can't face difficulties with doctors, society, ableism, judgement, etc. It just means that it seems like microperforate hymen is more understood as a reproductive variation that still is considered within the "typical" range of non intersex experiences.

With all that being said, I still think that if there are intersex resources that make you feel seen or provide you with the kind of support that's helpful for you, you should absolutely still feel free to access those resources and participate. I know several people with "intersex adjacent" diagnoses that sometimes participate in intersex spaces, we share resources with each other, and just overall have some really beautiful solidarity. I absolutely don't want to invalidate your experience or make you feel like you're wrong for wondering this, because I think there's nothing wrong with wondering what counts as intersex or seeking for support and community with intersex community.

The way I think about defining intersex is really shaped by my understanding of intersex as a community term that allows us to connect with each other and organize with each other, and also allows us to identify the particular ways that we are made vulnerable and oppressed. This can be really vital, especially for a community that is forcibly isolated in so many ways and who has been so often denied the ability to build an identity at all, when we're just told that we have to use DSD terminology and can't live as intersex.

I think that if the current sex binary wasn't so strict, if intersex oppression wasn't so violent, if we got to a point in society where we had abolished the sex binary, if there was more education, if there was actual intersex liberation--the line between intersex and perisex would continue to blur and maybe even disappear altogether. There would just be an understanding that literally everyone has a certain degree of variation in our sex characteristics, and that the sex binary and "biological sex" is a myth. But we don't live in that world yet, and there is still a society based on the sex binary that tries to eradicate the group of people who fall outside of that. So intersex still exists as a coherent and useful term for that group of people.

It's really important to me that we talk about and use the term "intersex" in an inclusive and expansive way that embraces self diagnosis, understands there are unlabeled intersex variations, doesn't just go off medical lists of "DSDs" and leaves room for people to self identify as intersex. If someone tells me that they are intersex, I will never interrogate them, ask them to prove it, or challenge them about it, even if they have a variation that other people generally categorize as another type of hormonal/reproductive disability rather than as intersex.

I hope my thoughts on this make sense. Other intersex people, feel free to add on your perspectives--my way of thinking about it is only one perspective! And anon, please still feel free to come to this blog with other questions or if you need resources, regardless of how you identify, we're here for you.