Interdisciplinary care in disorders/differences of sex development (DSD): The psychosocial component of the DSD—Translational research network / What is progestin-induced virilization?

“Virilization” is a medical term for development that is male-like. “Progestin-induced virilization” refers to a situation in which a woman who is pregnant with a female fetus (46,XX) ingests drugs called progestins that cause the female fetus to be virilized, i.e., to develop more along the male pathway. This can result in the child’s clitoris being larger than usual and may cause the labia to join together, like a scrotum. The child may also develop in such a way that her urethra and vagina are joined into something called a urogenital sinus.

Thus progestin-virilization results in what physicians call “ambiguous genitalia.” (Progestin-induced virilization is only one of many causes of ambiguous genitalia.)

In the past, women were sometimes given progestins to prevent miscarriage. In some circumstances, this led to their female offspring being virilized in the womb. Today, progestin virilization sometimes occurs because a woman takes a drug to treat her own severe endometriosis, and does not realize she is pregnant. If she is pregnant with a female, progestin virilization may occur.

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