Introduction

Disorders of sex development (DSDs) are a group of rare conditions where the reproductive organs and genitals don't develop as expected.

If you have a DSD, you'll have a mix of male and female sexual characteristics.

You may have sex Genetics (bundles of genes) normally associated with being female (XX chromosomes) or male (XY chromosomes), but your reproductive organs and genitals may be:

  • of the opposite sex
  • not clearly male or female (ambiguous or atypical)
  • a mixture of male and female

This occurs because of a difference with your genes and/or how you respond to the sex hormones in your body. It can be inherited, but it often occurs randomly for no clear reason.

The most common times to find out that a child has a DSD is at birth or during adolescence.

This page covers:

Types of DSDs

What happens after birth

Advice for parents of older children

If you think you have a DSD

Support groups

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 4 Jan 2017