The previous article about gender (what a person feels like he is, what gender he belongs to) caused a lot of feedback and discussion. In addition to being surprised by the number of genders, who can you consider yourself to be? to whom to classify, the question arose about the third sex. After all, genetically, either a man or a woman. What to do?! Not everything is so simple. Researchers have several criteria for determining gender: 1. Genetic sex. Sex is determined by the composition of chromosomes. Chromosomes XY in males and XX in females.2. Gonadal sex - determined by the gonads and predominant hormones. In men, the testes produce androgens; in women, the ovaries produce estrogens and progesterone.3. Sex based on the external and internal genital organs is morphological sex. In men, the prostate, seminal vesicles, penis, testicles. In women, the uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina, vulva, etc.4. Cerebral sex is determined by the uniqueness of the brains of men and women. There is now increasing evidence that the hormonal influences of the gonads on the brain before and after birth play some role in determining “male” and “female” types of behavior. But where is the third gender? These are intersex people who combine male and female anatomical features and cannot be clearly defined. These include: True hermaphrodites - have one testicle and one ovary. Externally they can look very different. Male pseudohermaphrodites - have testicles and some structures of the female genitalia, but not ovaries. Female pseudohermaphrodites - have ovaries and some structures of the male genitalia, but not testicles. In some historical periods, intersexuality was understood as a "third gender", distinct from male and female. In many societies, alternative social statuses existed for such people. Most often, they were assigned the roles of priests and healers. Now this combination of gender characteristics is considered a biological error or disease. Children born with ambiguous gender characteristics are subjected to hormonal or surgical treatment to transform them into men or women..