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Secondary sex characteristics are changes that typically occur at the time of puberty. They can include body hair growth, change in pitch of voice, genital growth, breast development, muscle development and growth of the Adam’s apple.

When a child is born with a DSD and his or her sex is unclear, the child is given a “sex assignment,” which means the parents decide whether to raise the child as a boy or a girl. Sex assignment … Continue reading →

This is the term for the step-by-step changes that relate to the biological (physical) features of a person’s sex. The development of sex begins at conception with the combining of sex chromosomes from the mother’s egg and the father’s sperm. … Continue reading →

Sex differentiation is the process by which males and females grow to be different from each other. Until about seven weeks after conception, all embryos regardless of their chromosomal makeup have the same structures of the gonads and genitalia (genital … Continue reading →

Sex hormones interact with cells that have functioning androgen or estrogen receptors, and play important roles in inducing the body changes affecting sex anatomy both before and after birth. Sex hormones are produced by the gonads, and also by the … Continue reading →

Sexual orientation refers to whether an individual is sexually attracted to men or women, both, or neither. If a person is identified as a man and is attracted to a man, he is said to be homosexual. If a person … Continue reading →

A social worker is a mental health professional who can offer support and counseling. The social worker knows much about children’s psychological and emotional development, and how to help families when there is a medical or social issue in a … Continue reading →

Swyer syndrome is a synonym for XY gonadal dysgenesis. Synonyms: XY gonadal dysgenesis Genetic Information from: NIH, National Library of Medicine, Genetics Home Reference https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/swyer-syndrome

Testes (also called testicles) are the male-typical gonad (sex gland), usually located in a scrotum. Mature testes typically produce sperm, though this is not the case with some DSDs. Before and after puberty, the testes produce the hormone testosterone which … Continue reading →

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