Chapter 4: Sex Development and Diversity

Question 1

How early after conception do we possess the precursors of both reproductive systems?

Answer 1

• 6 weeks

Question 2

What is SRY?

Answer 2

• the “survivor” that is determined by the presence/absence of testosterone and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)

Question 3

What happens around 10-12 weeks into embryonic development?

Answer 3

• the one that won’t last begins to disintegrate.

Question 4

What then begins to happen with the external anatomy?

Answer 4

if it is a boy the glans - glans and the outer labia turns into the scrotum, etc.

Question 5

What is Hypospadias that can happen during developmental stages?

Answer 5

• hypospadias - the urethral opening develops at a variety of other locations along the shaft of the penis.
• sub coronal - top
• midshaft - middle
• penoscrotal - near the scrotum

Question 6

What is Turner Syndrome?

Answer 6

• 1 in 2500 have one X chromosome instead of two and no Y. in some cases, women may be mosaics of X_ and XX.

Question 7

What are some of the Phenotype of turner syndrome?

Answer 7

• short stature
• infertility
• hypergonadotropic hypogonadism
  -type 2 diabetes mellitus
• autoimmunity
• neurocognitive problems
• congenital heart malformations
• intrauterine lethality

Question 8

What are the neurocognitive and psychosocial issues of Turner syndrome?

Answer 8

• emotional immaturity (40%)
• specific (nonverbal) learning disorder (40%)
• Psychological and behavioral problems (25%)
• failure to thrive during first year of life (50%)

Question 9

Why does an absent X chromosome lead to specific sets of symptoms?

Answer 9

• both estrogen and androgen deficiency that impacts certain aspects of development.

Question 10

What is triple-x syndrome?

Answer 10

they exhibit atypical facial features and learning difficulties.

Question 11

What is Klinefelter syndrome in males?

Answer 11

• 1 in 1000
• typical complement of X and Y along with one or more additional X chromosome.

Question 12

what are some physical effects of Klinefelter syndrome in males?

Answer 12

• some experience late/absent puberty
• delayed speech/motor development
• some female physical attributes like small testes, infertility, taller structure, narrow shoulders.

Question 13

What are the psychological affects (Herlihy et al, 2011) of Klinefelter sydrome?

Answer 13

• distress is higher
• health status is lower
• BMI is higher

Question 14

What is XYY syndrome in males?

Answer 14

males exhibit differences in genital anatomy and fertility, plus brain differences that influence intelligence and social functioning. and higher likelihood of criminality due to being different.

Question 15

What can lead to intersex status?

Answer 15

the 5-alpha reductase deficiency. Testosterone actually has to be converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in order to foster male genital development.

Question 16

What is guevedoces?

Answer 16

You are born a girl until puberty at around the age of 12

Question 17

What is congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

Answer 17

• is a recessive genetic condition that relates to changes in the HPA axis that regulates many hormones.
• loss of negative feedback –> excess androgen (testosterone) production from the adrenal cortex

Question 18

What is androgen insensitivity syndrome?

Answer 18

androgen production (t and DHT) is normal, but androgen receptors are defective.
ending up with neither reproductive system.
the external genital appearance is female, but the vagina is short.

Question 19

What is chromosomal sex?

Answer 19

• means the possession of XX, XY, or some other complement of sex chromosomes.

Question 20

What is Gonadal sex?

Answer 20

means the possession of ovaries, testes, or combination of the two.

Question 21

What is anatomical sex?

Answer 21

refers to the possession of the external genitalia typical of females or males, or not clearly one or the other.

Question 22

What is natal sex?

Answer 22

means anatomical sex at birth.

Question 23

What is an assigned sex?

Answer 23

the sex assigned to newborns by doctors or parents. usually always corresponds to natal sex, but babies with ambiguous genitals may be assigned to one sex or the other by poorly defined or arbitrary criteria

Question 24

What is Hijra?

Answer 24

a community that has a third gender, born a boy but dresses as a girl.

Question 25

What are the Mullerian ducts?

Answer 25

• are the precursors of the female reproductive tract.

Question 26

What are the Wolffian ducts?

Answer 26

• are the precursors of the male reproductive tract.

Question 27

How many possibilities of gender are there?

Answer 27

• 107 possibilities on wikipedia.

Question 28

What did economist James Anderson suggest about gender?

Answer 28

• in 1792 he suggested that there were 13 genders including neutral ones: indefinite and universally indefinite…. and suggested ‘ou as a gender-neutral pronoun.

Question 29

What is gender dysphoria??

Answer 29

• the unhappiness caused by discordance between a person’s natal sex and their gender identity. (DSM-5)

Question 30

What are the 4 elements of transitioning?

Answer 30

1. Assessment, education, and psychotherapy
2. Real-life experience/social integration
3. Hormone treatment
4. Sex affirmation surgery

Question 31

What are puberty blockers?

Answer 31

• an option is suppression of puberty via so-called puberty blockers, buying more time for brain/psychological development, exploration, counselling, etc.