Sex

Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type:	Glossary Item
METEOR identifier:	750030
Registration status:	Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022
Definition:	Sex is understood in relation to sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs. Sex is often used interchangeably with gender, however they are distinct concepts and it is important to differentiate between them.

Collection and usage attributes
Comments:	"A person's sex is based upon their sex characteristics, such as their chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs. While typically based upon the sex characteristics observed and recorded at birth or infancy, a person's reported sex can change over the course of their lifetime and may differ from their sex recorded at birth" (ABS 2021.) "Sex refers to ... chromosomal, gonadal and anatomical characteristics" (AGD 2015.) When comparing the concepts of sex and gender: Sex is understood in relation to sex characteristics. Sex recorded at birth refers to what was determined by sex characteristics observed at birth or in infancy Gender is about social and cultural differences in identity, expression and experience. While they are related concepts, caution should be exercised when comparing counts for sex with those for gender.
Source and reference attributes
Submitting organisation:	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Origin:	ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2021. Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables. Canberra: ABS, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standard-sex-gender-variations-sex-characteristics-and-sexual-orientation-variables/latest-release AGD (Attorney-General's Department) 2015. Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/australian-government-guidelines-recognition-sex-and-gender
Relational attributes
Related metadata references:	See also Gender Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 See also Sexual orientation Health, Qualified 03/06/2022 See also Variations of sex characteristics Health, Qualified 03/06/2022
Metadata items which use this glossary item:	Admitted patient care NBEDS 2022–23 Health, Standard 17/12/2021 Admitted subacute and non-acute hospital care NBEDS 2022–23 Health, Standard 20/10/2021 Dementia NBPDS Health, Recorded 15/11/2021 Emergency service care NBEDS 2022–23 Health, Standard 20/10/2021 Gender Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 Gender Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 Non-admitted patient emergency department care NMDS 2022–23 Health, Standard 20/10/2021 Non-admitted patient NBEDS 2022–23 Health, Standard 20/10/2021 Person—gender, code X Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Person—gender, text X[X(99)] Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Person—sex Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 Person—sex, code X Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 Person—sex, text X[X(99)] Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Sex Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 Sex code X Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 Sexual orientation Health, Qualified 03/06/2022 Social marital status code NN Health, Qualified 03/06/2022