Patient and Caregiver Attitudes toward Disorders of Sex Development Nomenclature

Purpose:The medical terminology applied to differences/disorders of sex development has been viewed negatively by some affected individuals. A clinical population of patients with differences/disorders of sex development and their caregivers were surveyed regarding current nomenclature, hypothesizing that those unaffiliated with support groups would have more favorable attitudes.Materials and Methods:We recruited English and Spanish speaking patients 13 years old or older with differences/disorders of sex development and their caregivers at 5 national tertiary care clinics from July 2016 to December 2018. No diagnoses were excluded. Participants completed a survey rating terminology commonly applied to differences/disorders of sex development. Responses were compared between subgroups, including members vs nonmembers of a support group.Results:Of 185 potential participants approached 133 completed the survey (72% response rate). Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (33%) was the most common diagnosis. "Variation of sex development" was the most liked term (37%) but was not liked more significantly than "disorders of sex development" (27%, p=0.16). No term was liked by a majority of respondents. "Disorders of sex development" (37%) and "intersex" (53%) were the only terms most frequently viewed unfavorably. Support group members were significantly more likely to dislike the term "intersex" (p=0.02) and to like "variation of sex development" (p=0.02).Conclusions:A clinical population of patients and their caregivers had generally neutral attitudes toward nomenclature applied to differences/disorders of sex development. Members of a support group had clearer terminology preferences. "Variation of sex development" was the most liked term, and "disorders of sex development" and "intersex" were the most disliked. No term was liked by most respondents, and no clear alternative to the present nomenclature was identified.