Women with androgen insensitivity are normal women, but they have a chromosomal makeup of 46, XY which is typically that of a male. Their body is unable to process and utilize testosterone appropriately and thus the external genitalia form as that of a normal woman's.

Women with androgen insensitivity thus have normal labia, clitoris, and urethra. The lower vagina forms normally but the upper vagina, cervix and uterus do not form normally, since her body makes MIS (mullerian inhibiting substance) which inhibits the growth of these structures. Women with androgen insensitivity will thus have only a lower vagina and will thus need some form of assistance with the creation of a normal functioning vagina.

Women with androgen insensitivity have gonads which will not function to make eggs as they are originally derived from tissue that functions as a testes. Women with androgen insensitivity go through puberty normally and have normal development of breasts, but due to a normal lack of processing of testosterone have scant or no pubic hair. These women will thus need their gonads removed due to the fact that they can form a malignancy. These gonads are at risk for forming dysgerminoma which is a type of germ cell tumor. Once the gonads are removed these women need hormonal replacement therapy with estrogen. They do not need progesterone as they do not have a uterus.

For more information go to the Center for Young Women's Health website.