Gendered interests and behavior in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia or complete androgen insensitivity syndrome

Psychological outcomes in people with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) may provide information contributing to the understanding of development of behaviors that typically show sex differences. In this study, we investigated gender identity, friendship quality and occupational choices. Participants were women with 46,XX classic CAH (C-CAH; n = 29), non-classic CAH (NC-CAH; n = 13), women with 46, XY CAIS (n = 11), male controls (n = 147) and female controls (n = 142). Participants completed an online survey with questions on gender identity, friendship, (sex of friends in childhood, adolescence, adulthood), friendship style, and occupation. Results showed that (1) female and male controls differed on most outcomes. (2) Women with CAIS and women with NC-CAH responded in a pattern not different from female controls on most questions regarding gendered behavior. (3) Women with C-CAH and women with CAIS responded more similarly to male controls than female controls on the friendship questionnaire. (4) Women with C-CAH worked in occupations with a male sex distribution whereas females with CAIS worked in occupations that were not different from those of female or male controls. (5) More severe forms of CAH were associated with a response pattern more in line with that of male controls, whereas the opposite was true for females with less severe forms of CAH.