Althouse: "Two adult brothers and a paternal uncle in the U.K. all appear to be normal males — but genetically are women with two X chromosomes."

January 6, 2011

"Two adult brothers and a paternal uncle in the U.K. all appear to be normal males — but genetically are women with two X chromosomes."

"Both brothers are married to women, and they and their uncle have the sexual anatomy, behavior, growth, and skeletal development of males. All have normal health and intelligence.... While it's extremely rare for sex reversal to run in a family, it's not unheard of for genetic females to develop as men or for genetic males to develop as women."

16 comments:

Phil 314 said...: Well, if they were American they could now proudly join the Armed Forces.; 1/6/11, 10:20 AM
Titus said...: My Indian UK husband has to travel to Sidney for work, during Mardi Gras week. I am a mess.; 1/6/11, 10:23 AM
sonicfrog said...: With the repeal of DADT, I think the military needs to build extra showers for them too!; 1/6/11, 10:43 AM
Toad Trend said...: Does this begin to explain Gov. Rendell's 'wussification' tome?; 1/6/11, 10:47 AM
Unknown said...: Interesting they use the word behavior, as if there were stereotypical psychological differences between the sexes.; 1/6/11, 10:56 AM
Ralph L said...: If their health is normal, why were they given testosterone?

disorders of sexual development (DSDs),... occur in at least one in 100 births

That's a lot of disorder; 1/6/11, 11:06 AM
Clyde said...: Yikes! Neuticles: They're not just for dogs anymore!; 1/6/11, 11:36 AM
coketown said...: Yes, they're males: they have normal health and intelligence.

Did that line jump out at anyone else?; 1/6/11, 11:56 AM
dbp said...: Usually XX males and XY females are only detected because they go to a doctor due to infertility. Hormone treatment is a pretty common initial approach.; 1/6/11, 12:05 PM
Akiva said...: It was discovered over 20 years ago that it's not the Y chromosome that determines maleness, rather a rider chemical called HY Antigen. And in unusual cases that chemical can ride on an X chromosome, creating what's described here, an XX male.

MSM News, only 20 years behind science.; 1/6/11, 12:08 PM
HKatz said...: Yes, they're males: they have normal health and intelligence.

Did that line jump out at anyone else?

It stated that they have normal health and intelligence, because it's an important thing to emphasize, to distinguish these cases from other kinds of cases involving sex chromosomes (various sex chromosome abnormalities are often associated with bodily and cognitive symptoms of different degrees of severity, depending on the individual).

These genetic females/physiological males are infertile though and can't produce sperm, so that's one bodily effect.; 1/6/11, 12:15 PM
Triangle Man said...: No discussion of the marriages?

Their marriages are not valid or recognized in the state of Wisconsin.; 1/6/11, 2:11 PM
Triangle Man said...: @Akiva

H-Y antigen was once thought to be the testis determining factor, but has been since shown to be false by demonstration of H-Y negative males. The gene Sry (sex determining region on the y chromosome) is the master switch. As mentioned in the article, SOX9 is a downstream gene. Another gene SOX3 was also recently identified.; 1/6/11, 2:24 PM
chuck said...: So all their children will be genetically female. Hmm...; 1/6/11, 3:49 PM
Triangle Man said...: @chuck

XX males are infertile.; 1/6/11, 5:06 PM
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