Essentials of Counseling of a Teenaged Child with DSD at the Threshold of Decision-Making

One of the first social categories learned from early childhood is gender stereotypes and the traditional perception of masculine–feminine traits encircling strong cultural and societal norms gets internalized around what real men and women should be like. Even though there is no single definition for all men and all women, the social roles, behaviors, and meanings prescribed for men and women based on sex in any society at any time, across cultures diverge, however, universally they have been institutionally organized, structured, elaborated, and experienced through interactions and expressed on the axis of identity including class, race, ethnicity, age, and sexuality. If so, then should DSD be considered an abnormality in anatomy needing correction or a social acceptance of human diversity, with the idea that differences are not equal to disease? Empirical data, mainly retrospective observations and case studies, highlighted DSDs as rare (exotic), focusing on diagnostic improvement and corrective measures (phenotypic sex), however, this congenital condition is not suggestive of a disorder or abnormality and does not imply a person’s identity and therefore this chapter explores the psychological management and normalized inclusion of adolescents with DSD on the juncture of decision-making with regard to stabilizing their identity, positive acceptance of body variance, a better quality of life and sexual health.