It is very normal to have questions about the subject of dsd’s as there is a lot to understand. We try to make the information on this website as simple and clear as possible. You can also email specific questions to us at info@dsdfamilies.org
Some common questions are answered below:
- I’m not sure what dsd means?
DSD stands for ‘Differences of Sex Development’. Doctors sometimes use the word ‘disorders’ for the first ‘D’ – in this case disorder means conditio’. The term includes a broad range of conditions that affect the way the reproductive system develops, beginning with the embryo in the mother’s womb through to infancy and young adulthood.
DSD leads to variations in the development of the gonads* (ovaries/testes) and of the genitalia. This can sometimes make it difficult to know at birth whether the baby should best be raised as a boy or a girl. In older children it may have other effects such as working out whether a girl’s body will be able to have periods or not.
Most families and children will rarely come across the name ‘DSD’ but instead will use the specific name of the condition or diagnosis, for example, AIS, CAH, Gonadal Dysgenesis, severe or penoscrotal Hypospadias. This can make it very confusing for parents to know where to find support for their child. On this website we try to point you in the right direction as clearly as possible and use specific names when we can.
*Note: gonads is a general name for testes and ovaries. In DSD these can sometimes be streak (underdeveloped) gonads or, occasionally, ovotestes (a mixture of ovarian and testicular tissue).