Intersex, in humans and other animals, describes variations in
sex characteristics including
chromosomes,
gonads, or
genitals "that do not fit typical binary notions of
male or
female bodies". Such variations may involve genital ambiguity, and combinations of chromosomal
genotype and sexual
phenotype other than
XY-male and XX-female. Intersex people were previously referred to as
hermaphrodites, but the term has fallen out of favor as it is considered to be misleading and stigmatizing.