Gonadal Agenesis, Agonadal, or Agonadism is a rare variation of intersex in which one does not develop gonads (testes, ovaries, or ovotestes) during fetal development.[1]
In full agonadism, one is born without testes, ovaries, ovotestes, and does not have any gonadal tissue at all. In most cases on agonadism the individual has XY chromosomes (though cases with XX chromosomes have been reported) and always has female internal genitals. They may or may not have a uterus or other internal structures, these may or may not be fully developed. Due to the lack of gonads individuals with this variation will not go through puberty without hormone replacement therapy.
This often overlaps with agenital variations, and shares some of the same variation subsets. This variation may also cause one to fall under the secondary sex agenesis spectrum.
Subsets of this variation include:
- Testicular Agenesis/Congenital Anorchia: when one is born without testicles. They may also be born without a penis at all.[2]
- Ovarian Agenesis (Congenital Aplasia of the Ovaries): when one is born without ovaries, or with little to no ovaries. They may or may not have a uterus as well.
History
The first case (at least for ovarian agenesis) appears to have been in January 2002, first being discovered with a seventeen-year-old AFAB patient who had a lack of mammary development and primary amenorrhea.
Flag
The Gonadal Agenesis flag was coined by Reign of the breadsticcs on May 7th of 2021. It has no confirmed meaning.[3]