Intersexuality - The Intersexual Spectrum

Causes of Intersexuality - Hormones

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

How is CAH inherited?

Children with CAH have two abnormal genes inherited from their parents, i.e. one from each parent. The parents themselves may not have the condition when, as in most cases, each of them has only one of these genes. Thus, they are only “carriers of the CAH trait”. However, even this does not necessarily mean that they will pass it on to all of their their children. In fact, the odds are one in four, i.e. if they have four children, only one will have CAH. This explains why CAH is quite rare, although ca. 2% of the general population are carriers.

Mother     Father   no symptoms not a carrier symptomatic carrier   asymptomatic carriers