Ambiguous Genitalia

Ambiguous genitalia, increasingly called atypical genitalia, is a rare condition in which a newborn's external genitals do not clearly appear typically male or female. It is one of the differences of sex development (DSD) and is part of the range of intersex variations, usually arising from hormonal or genetic differences during pregnancy. Historically, doctors often performed early, non-consensual surgeries to assign a binary sex to the infant. Intersex advocates and organizations such as interACT now oppose medically unnecessary surgery on infants, warning it can cause lasting physical and psychological harm, and they call for letting intersex people make informed decisions about their own bodies when they are old enough. Clinical care today is tailored to the specific underlying cause.