There is a rare medical condition that hides a child's sex at puberty.
Some children with a rare genetic condition appear female at birth but later develop a penis and testes around puberty.What causes this to happen?
The story of some children in the Dominican Republic with this condition is told in a new article in BBC Magazine.Johnny grew a penis and his testicles descended when he was raised as a girl.
Children with the condition have one X and one Y chromosomes.The genes that prevent their bodies from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone are found in the womb.The lack of DHT means the male sex organs don't develop properly, according to the National Institutes of Health.
When children with the condition are born, their external genitals look female, or in some cases, appear ambiguous.Like typical males, Guevedoces experience an increase in testosterone during puberty.The penis and scrotum grow larger, and secondary sex characteristics, such as increased muscle mass and a deep voice, can also appear, as the body responds to higher levels of testosterone.
Men with this condition are usually infertile and do not have much facial or body hair.The majority of children with this condition are raised as girls, but about half of them identify as males after puberty.There are 7 diseases you can learn about from a genetic test.
Johnny said that when he saw a group of boys, he would stop to play ball with them.
People with 5-alpha reductase deficiency who were raised female but identify as male are not transexual because they identify with their biological sex.People who are trans identify with a different sex than their biological sex.
The Dominican Republic is one of the places where cases of 5-alpha reductase deficiency have been found.
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