Gender Medicine Program

Our multidisciplinary team manages disorders of sexual development within an ethical framework and educates parents to assist them in making informed decisions.

Disorders of sexual differentiation (DSD) result from discordance between chromosomes, anatomical sex and hormones. If a problem occurs during the process of sexual differentiation, a baby’s sex can be difficult to determine based on the appearance of the external genitalia.

Traditionally, these conditions are treated by independent specialists: endocrinologists, gynecologists, geneticists and psychologists. To promote and foster collaboration, Texas Children's Hospital has created an internationally recognized Program for Disorders of sexual Differentiation. Our multidisciplinary team of ethicists, psychologists, urologists, gynecologists, endocrinologists, geneticists, and psychologists collaborate to determine diagnosis, appropriate hormonal and surgical treatments, and sex assignment.

Our primary goal is to enhance the quality of life for children with DSD and their parents by effectively utilizing all the resources of Texas Children’s Hospital in an integrated care model. Our multidisciplinary team works daily to achieve this by involving and educating parents so you are comfortable making decisions within an ethical framework. The following patients are good candidates for evaluation by our multidisciplinary team:

• Babies born with variations in the appearance of their genitalia, which makes it difficult to tell whether they are boys or girls
• Children who might have chromosomes or hormones that differ from what is expected for their assigned sex
• Children who might have problems developing during puberty

Children with any of the following diagnoses:

• Ambiguous genitalia
• Androgen insensitivity syndrome
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Disorders of sexual differentiation with ovotesticular component
• Genetic disorders of gonadal determination
• Genetic syndromes that result in unexpected hormone production
• Gonadal dysgenesis
• Klinefelter syndrome
• Ovary or testis on one side and ovotestis on contralateral side
• Turner syndrome