Ferms, Herms & Merms are all terms pinned by Anne Fausto-Sterling to further educate society that there is a common error in assuming that there is only a chance of a pure Male and a pure Female to be given birth to. Before I dwell into the topic of failed reassignment at birth or infancy, i will define these terms for the purpose of housekeeping.
A Ferm is an individual born with ovaries that is combined with some male genitalia, A Merm is when one is born with testes and some form of female genitalia, and a Herm (Hermaphrodite) is an individual born with both Male and Female Genitalia.
“Everyday world gender attributions are made without access to genital inspection”
– Suzanne J. Kessler (Lessons from the Intersexed)
Treatment of genital ambiguity in new borns and infants that are born with a mixture of both Male and Female anatomy may have further implications, it is not the solution, but it is rather a start to a very long road for the individual. Fausto-Sterling discusses the implications early childhood treatment can have. Her paper The Five Sexes raised a lot of awareness, with positive and negative reviews on this matter.
Fausto-Sterling talks about the psychological problems individuals may face if they are born as an intersexual, but are given surgery that “best fits” at the time.
The recognition that there is variation between Men and Women, even if they are the perfect XX or XY (dimorphism) can be the stepping stone for the medical world to realise that surgery at birth may cause further problems. Parents are expected to raise their children in the way that deems appropriate in accordance to their genitals. With this confusion growing up, people have decided to change their ‘gender role’ even if it contradicts their biological makeup.
Individuals that are born intersexual should be able to make their own decision, unless the surgery is imperative for the health of their life. With this said, there may be other psychological issues faced by a person who is born this way, and left this way.
I do not think there is a solid yes or no solution to the concept of corrective surgeries for intersexual individuals. This area of discussion is crucial and a valid solution needs to be sought out to lessen the psychological and identity problems individuals face if they do not believe they fit their sex, in its pure biological meaning.
This blog post was written in reference to: Anne Fausto-Sterling’s ‘The Five Sexes, Revisited
Views Through Four Eyes 
I am so glad someone is FINALLY talking about this. It is not just the gender binary that must be questioned, but the very idea that there are only two physical sexes in the first place! Kudos!