Lutenizing Hormone Insensitivity
(also: luteinizing hormone resistance)
Table of Contents
General Information
The body of someone with XY chromosomes and luteinizing hormone insensitivity develops a variation of LCH (as discussed below).
As someone with XX chromosomes does not typically produce Leydig cells to begin with, someone who has XX chromosomes and this insensitivity will be affected in a different way (compared to someone with XY chromosomes). Someone with XX chromosomes and this intersex variation does not usually have any noticable differences at birth, but may not menstruate, and their ovaries may not produce fertile eggs.
Leydig Cell Hypoplasia/LCH
The body of someone with Leydig Cell Hypoplasia (LCH) has XY chromosomes and a genetic insensitivity to Luteinizing Hormone. Luteinizing Hormone is typically responsible for the development of Leydig cells in the testicles, and then signaling those cells to produce androgens such as testosterone. Someone with LCH will develop no or few Leydig cells, and will therefore produce less testosterone than typical.
Type 1 LCH/Complete LCH
Someone with Type 1 LCH produces almost no testosterone and will usually be born with undescended testes, a vulva, and a vagina. They are usually assigned female at birth. This intersex variation is often not recognized until adolescence, at which point they generally will not develop any secondary sex characteristics or experience other changes typically associated with puberty.
Type 2 LCH/Partial LCH
Someone with Type 2 LCH has some response to Luteinizing Hormone, and produces more testosterone than someone with Type 1 LCH, but less than typical. At birth, their testes may be descended or undescended. They may have a micropenis, and often have other noticable differences, such as hypospadias. In adolescence, they often develop some characteristics associated with a typical testosterone-based puberty.
External Links
The resources below have been provided for education, information sourcing, and entertainment purposes. The views expressed in these videos, websites, etc, do not inherently reflect those of The Transgender Dictionary. These resources are not sponsored, nor endorsed.
Additional Resources
