Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
True hermaphroditism
Introduction
Overview
True hermaphroditism is a medical term for an intersex condition in which a person is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue.
There may be an ovary on one side and a testis on the other, but more commonly one or both gonads is an ovotestis containing both types of tissue.
External genitalia are often ambiguous, the degree depending mainly on the amount of testosterone produced by the testicular tissue between 8 and 16 weeks of gestation.
It is rare for both types of gonadal tissue to function. Individuals are either 46, XX or 47, XXY. Template:Disease-stub
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]