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John C. Achermann, Erica A. Eugster, Dorothy I. Shulman, Ambiguous Genitalia, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 96, Issue 3, 1 March 2011, Page 33A, https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.96.3.zeg33a
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What does “ambiguous genitalia” mean?
The term “ambiguous genitalia” means that a newborn baby's genitals look different than the genitals of most boys or girls. Parents and doctors cannot tell right away what the newborn's sex is. For example, a baby can have an enlarged clitoris that looks more like a small penis, and fusion of the labia so that they look more like a scrotum. In some babies, the penis does not form or is very small, and the opening where urine comes out can be at the base of the penis, not at the tip. Conditions that have these features are called disorders of sex development, or DSD.
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How do the sex organs develop in the fetus?
Shortly after conception, the gonads typically develop into either testicles or ovaries. In males, hormones made by the testicles then cause the penis and scrotum to form. In the absence of male hormones, the female fetus develops a clitoris, vagina, and labia.