How many genders

1. Why the question keeps changing: sex, gender and terminology

Confusion about “how many genders” often starts with conflating sex (a biological classification) and gender (social, cultural and psychological roles and identities). Commentators and scholars point out that sex and gender are different concepts; while some policy documents insist on recognizing two sexes, contemporary psychological literature treats gender as a broader, more fluid category where the number of identities is not fixed ^{[6] [7]}.

2. What mainstream health outlets say: spectrum, not a count

Health-focused sites and therapists emphasize a spectrum model: gender is about how people feel and present themselves, and that framework resists counting. TherapyDen states explicitly that “there is no single, fixed number of genders” and frames gender as culturally and individually varied ^[2]. Healthline and PsychCentral list many specific identity terms and describe gender as a continuum rather than a binary count ^{[1] [8]}.

3. Popular lists: large, varied inventories exist — but they’re not definitive

Several widely circulated lists attempt to catalog gender identities and attach numeric totals: MedicineNet highlighted “72 other genders” in one piece ^[3]; UsefulProfessor-style lists and blogs have enumerated 81 types or even 112 in other compilations ^{[4] [5]}. These lists collect terms used across communities and cultures; they are descriptive snapshots, not normative scientific determinations ^{[3] [4] [5]}.

4. Academic and policy debate: contested lines and political context

The academic literature and policy world remain active battlegrounds. A 2025 call for commentaries in Archives of Sexual Behavior framed explicit questions — “How many sexes are there? How many genders are there?” — and linked recent political moves that reaffirm “two sexes” in policy, underscoring how political actors influence the public debate even as scholars push for conceptual clarity ^[7]. That shows competing agendas: some policy documents assert binary frameworks while many clinicians and researchers emphasize multiplicity and nuance ^{[7] [2]}.

5. Cultural and historical evidence: non-binary conceptions are not new

Lists and encyclopedic entries note that cultures worldwide have long recognized gender diversity beyond a male/female binary. Wikipedia’s compendia of gender identities and several educational pages trace terms such as non-binary, bigender, agender and culturally specific identities — illustrating that contemporary lists draw on longstanding cultural practices as well as recent language innovation ^{[9] [1]}.

6. Practical takeaway for readers: language matters more than a number

For most practical purposes — law, medicine, workplaces, and social interactions — the important shift is from enforcing a strict binary to recognizing people’s self-described identities. Clinicians and guides recommend focusing on respectful language and understanding that identity categories evolve; they note that the absence of an authoritative count means policies should center dignity and flexibility rather than enforcing a numeric taxonomy ^{[2] [1] [8]}.

7. Limitations in reporting and remaining questions

Available sources do not provide a single authoritative, peer‑reviewed count of genders; instead they offer compilations, clinical guidance, cultural histories, and policy reactions ^{[3] [4] [7] [9]}. Readers should note the difference between lists that catalog terms (72, 81, 112, etc.) and scholarly positions that treat gender as open-ended ^{[3] [4] [5] [2]}. The political context — including executive orders and policy statements — shapes public discourse but does not settle conceptual or clinical debates ^[7].

Bottom line: sources agree that gender is a spectrum with many named identities; specific numeric lists exist and circulate in popular media, but experts and clinicians consistently warn against treating any single count as definitive ^{[2] [1] [3]}.