Prenatal androgenization of females. A review.

Abstract

Clinical studies of human female hermaphrodites prenatally exposed to certain synthetic progestins, and of female hermaphrodites with the adrenogenital syndrome, complement experimental studies of animals prenatally exposed to androgens. The clinical data on human females indicate elevated IQ and some behavioral masculinization, without gender-identity disorders, subsequent to prenatal exposure to androgenic substances. However, suppression of feminine behavior was minor in the human subjects. This is contrary to the reports of animal studies in which suppressed femininity is claimed. In humans, a consistently feminine sex of assignment and rearing maximizes femininity and minimizes masculinization subsequent to a prenatal androgenic hormone environment.