BERLIN, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- German officials said the country will allow babies with characteristics of both sexes to be registered as neither male nor female.

Germany will become the first European country to create the new category of "indeterminate sex," the BBC reported.


The move is an attempt to remove pressure on parents, who are forced into making a quick decision for sex assignment surgery so the child can be registered.

One in 2,000 people have characteristics of both sexes, and have a mixture of male and female chromosomes or genitalia.

The new law followed a review of cases involving people who were born with indeterminate sex.

German passports will have a new designation, X, for intersex holders.

The impact on the marriage, which is described as a union between a woman and a man in Germany, is unknown.