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中間性
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中間性性象譜 |
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中間性的原因-
激素因素
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5-α-還原酶缺乏(5-ARD) |
生來就帶有5-α-還原酶缺乏的孩子是具備XY染色體組型的遺傳上的男性。但是，他們有隱睾症，而且其外部性器官可能看起來莫淩兩可或無疑地為女性特徵：他們的陰莖偏小(起初常常被誤認為擴大的陰蒂)，而且有陰道和大、小陰唇，卻無子宮和無輸卵管。具有明白無誤的女性性器官的那些孩子通常會作為女孩子來撫養，可是，他們中的許多人在青春期睾丸會下降，並且發育出男性第二性征。然後，他們會放棄女性性角色而採用男性性身份。
在此勿需深入瞭解任何生物學或醫學細節，您也能夠說出這種病症的致病原因：缺乏一種被稱為5-α-還原酶的必需酶，並且由此而導致男胎的正常發育受到損害。他們甚至於在成年期，其前列腺仍然偏小，並有不育的可能。同理，他們的面部毛髮較少(另一方面，他們也沒有男性模式的禿頭)。這種疾病是遺傳來的，但非常罕見。只有在多明尼加共和國和其他一些國家才發現有群發病案，在那些與外界相對隔絕的國家裏，他們中許多人相互通婚，(因而將疾病遺傳給下一代)。
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5-α-還原酶缺乏：在青春期從女性變為男性
5-ARD: From female to male during puberty
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在10-16歲的某個年份期間，似像女性的身體發育出男性性徵。通常在那個年齡，當事者會採納男性身份。
Sometime between the ages of 10 and 16, the seamingly female body
development sexual characteristics. Usually, at that time, a male identity is adopted.
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Intersexuality - The Intersexual Spectrum |
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Causes of Intersexuality - Hormones
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5-Alpha-Reductase Deficiency (5-ARD) |
Children born with 5-ARD are genetic males with an XY- chromosome combination. However, they have undescended testicles, and their external sex organs may look ambiguous or clearly female: They may have a small penis (at first often mistaken for a large clitoris), and a vagina and vaginal lips, but no uterus and no Fallopian tubes. Those children with apparently female sex organs will usually be raised as girls, but, in many cases, their testicles descend during puberty, and they develop male secondary sexual characteristics. They then abandon the female role and adopt a male identity.
Without going into any greater biological or medical detail here, one can say this about the cause of the condition:
A certain essential enzyme called 5-alpha reductase is deficient, and thus the typical development of the male fetus is impaired. Even in adult males, the prostate remains small, and there is the likelihood of infertility. Also, there is very little facial hair (on the other hand, there is no male-pattern baldness, either). The condition is inherited, but very rare. Some clusters of it are found only in the Dominican Republic and a few other countries, where, in relatively isolated communities, many people are related to each other. |
