Embryology and Disorders of Sexual Development

Recent consensus is that individuals with atypical male or female phenotype are to be considered to have a "disorder of sexual development." The goal is to eliminate previous terminology that included the terms intersex, hermaphrodite, or pseudohermaphrodite. However, the teaching of embryology, and particularly teaching about the development of the reproductive system, still has not made the change to the new terminology. If those who teach embryology to health-care professionals remain unaware of the controversies associated with the old terminology and continue to use it, they will perpetuate a nomenclature that can be destructive. Any terminology must be used carefully to avoid dehumanizing the individual to a disease or a medical state. We should be able to state clearly the variations in morphology that exist, attend to the immediate health of the individual, and avoid any attempt to stigmatize gender-atypical individuals.