Cameron Richardson, "House"

#DifferentIsNotWrong

   Actress Cameron Richardson was the guest star on "House, MD" (FOX). I loved her performance.

   She portrayed Alexandria, a very feminine teenaged supermodel who was hospitalized.

   In the story, an MRI revealed undescended testicles.

   This does actually happen. We begin life as female. If a Y chromosome is present, male characteristics develop. In rare cases, the body does not respond to androgens associated with the Y chromosome. The result is ordinary external female characteristics, undescended testicles, and no uterus.

   Unless there has been genetic testing, this is often not discovered until the concerned teenager consults a physician because menstruation has not begun.

   Sexual diversity involves more than genitalia; it involves the brain. Genitalia at birth can be ambiguous, and the brain can also develop on a path divergent from the genitalia.

   In the "House" episode, Alexandria became distressed and agitated when told of the discovery. Gender dysphoria can lead to severe emotional issues.

   Being different is not wrong.

   Here is a six-minute clip of the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ry6hn9twow

   Photograph © Larry F. Levenson. All rights reserved.

#AndrogenInsensitivitySyndrome