Disorders of Sexual Development
Advocates of transgenderism often present disorders of sexual development (DSDs) as evidence that there are sexes other than male and female, and that the traditional understanding of the sexes should be overturned in favor of more progressive approaches to human sexuality. This important cultural debate is obscured by the imprecise terminology used when discussing these disorders as well as their medical complexity. To clarify the topic and make it more accessible to a general readership, this paper defines and discusses important disorders such as Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), 5α-Reductase Type II Deficiency (5ARD), and Ovotesticular Syndrome (OT), as well as less relevant, but oft-cited conditions, such as de la Chapelle Syndrome, Swyer Syndrome, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH), vaginal agenesis, undescended testes, Turner syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome. Historical cases of individuals with DSDs are also discussed. Finally, the paper presents the prevalence of these conditions and their relevance to discussions of transsexualism.