Assigned sex (at birth or in the uterus)
Hear this word Assigned sex (at birth or in the uterus)
Also known as: Assigned sex at birth
Skip Ahead:
What Is It?
Assigned sex is the male or female label that doctors give to a baby. Doctors usually choose a label based on whether it looks like a baby has a vulva or a penis.
If the baby appears to have a penis, the doctor gives them the assigned sex, male. If the baby appears to have a vulva, the doctor gives them the assigned sex, female. The assigned sex goes on the baby's birth certificate.
A person’s assigned sex does not tell us what their gender identity is.
An Example
Lu is a baby and was just born. Lu’s doctor looks to see if Lu has a vulva or a penis. The doctor sees a vulva and announces that Lu’s assigned sex is female. Female is written on Lu’s birth certificate. Lu’s assigned sex does not tell us what Lu’s gender identity is. As Lu grows up, Lu can know and share with others what their gender identity is.
Assigning sex at birth
What to Know
Every glossary word connects to different parts of the Sexuality Wheel. Explore the information below to learn more.
- Assigned sex is determined based on different parts of a person's body like a person’s genitals, hormones, and chromosomes. Hormones control many activities and changes in our bodies. Chromosomes are tiny structures in our cells that control how a person’s body will develop, such as the genitals they will have, their eye color, and height.
- Doctors usually give babies an assigned sex label (male or female) based only on how the baby's body looks.
- People's bodies naturally have a lot of variety. So sometimes instead of the labels male or female, the word intersex might be used to describe a person’s body, hormones, and chromosomes.
- A person’s assigned sex at birth is not the same thing as a person’s gender identity. Sometimes people make assumptions about other people's gender identity because of their assigned sex. We are the only ones who can know and share with others what our gender identity is.
- Some people's assigned sex at birth matches their gender identity. For example, a person might be assigned female at birth and may identify as a girl or a woman. This person's gender identity matches their assigned sex at birth. Cisgender is a word that describes people whose gender identity matches their assigned sex at birth.
- Some people's assigned sex does not match their gender identity. For example, a person may be assigned male at birth and the person identifies as a girl or a woman. This person's gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth. Another example of when an assigned sex does not match a person's gender identity is when a person is labeled with an assigned sex at birth, but they identify as non-binary or genderqueer. Transgender is a word that describes people whose gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth.
Think about
Hover or tap the cards below to reveal suggestions or ideas!
What did you learn about assigned sex?
- To learn more explore websites, books, and other resources in the Resource Hub.
What questions do you have about assigned sex?
- Find answers using websites, books, and other resources in the Resource Hub.
Write down or record an audio note with any questions you have to ask someone you trust.