What is the difference?
Transgender vs Intersex
Transgender and intersex are both sometimes misunderstood as being "between" male and female, so they get confused. Transgender is about gender identity; intersex is about physical sex characteristics.
Transgender
An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Full entryIntersex
An umbrella term for people born with physical sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, hormones, internal organs or genitals, that do not fit typical definitions of female or male.
Full entrySide by side
In short
Transgender is about who someone is; intersex is about how someone's body developed. Some people are both, most are one or neither.
What they have in common
Both are umbrella terms, and both trans and intersex people can have any sexual orientation.
Sources
- American Psychological AssociationTransgender people, gender identity and gender expression
- UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human RightsIntersex people
More comparisons
- Affirmative consentvsEnthusiastic consentAffirmative consent is about getting a clear yes; enthusiastic consent goes a step further and cares whether that yes is truly wanted.
- AsexualvsAromanticAsexual answers "do I feel sexual attraction?"; aromantic answers "do I feel romantic attraction?". A person can be one, both or neither.
- Bacterial vaginosisvsThrushA fishy smell points more towards BV, itching more towards thrush, but symptoms overlap, so it is worth getting them checked by a pharmacist, doctor or sexual health clinic.
- BDSMvsIntimate partner violence 18+Calling something BDSM never makes non-consensual harm acceptable. If limits are pushed, safewords ignored or fear creeps in, it is abuse, and domestic abuse services can help.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026. Spotted a mistake?