True hermaphroditism

True hermaphroditism is a medical term for an intersex condition in which a person is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue.

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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. Encountered karyotypes are 47XXY, 46XX/46XY, or 46XX/47XXY.

See also

• ovotestis