ABSTRACT
As in the case of the genital ducts, there is an inherent tendency for the external genitalia and urogenital sinus to feminize in the absence of fetal gonadal secretions. Indeed, the female phenotype does not require hormones from the fetal ovary. In the absence of DHT action, such as in the normal female fetus, the genital tubercle elongates only slightly to form the clitoris, the genital swellings become the labia majora and the genital folds become the labia minora. It is of interest to note that after approximately the 12th week, when the urogenital sinus has separated from the vagina, fusion of the labioscrotal folds and urethral groove cannot occur, even with an intense androgenic stimulus, whereas such a stimulation can cause clitoral hypertrophy at any time during fetal life and after birth (Grumbach and Conte, 1999).
