The prevailing social stigma around disorders of sexual development in developing countries

Abstract

Disorders of sexual development (DSD), apart from medical disease, is a psychosocial stigma to not only the patient but also their whole family. We present the case of a 24-year-old 46XX, raised as male, with ambiguous genitalia and cyclical hematuria with normal female internal genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics. This case underscores the influence of social stigma and the psychosocial vulnerability associated with DSD on individuals’ lives in developing countries.