The new intersex terminology scheme, based on disorders of sex development (DSD) and discussed in the consensus statement by Hughes et al,¹ seems to offer the following benefits:

1. It covers a wide range of intersex conditions without using the archaic and stigmatising hermaphrodite and male/female pseudo-hermaphrodite terms.

2. It should end the problem of usage of the term “intersex” by some clinicians to mean ambiguous genitalia (and being extrapolated by the media to mean sex identity problems in all cases) when it in fact includes conditions such as complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and Swyer syndrome, with a totally female phenotype.

3. It should abolish the assumption, on the part of the uninformed, that all affected people are “between the two sexes”.

4. It should reduce the …