Partial androgen insensitivity is typically associated with which phenotype?

Partial androgen insensitivity is typically associated with which phenotype?

• A. Phenotypically male
• B. Phenotypically female
• C. Ambiguous
• D. Normal male

Answer: (A)

Partial androgen insensitivity occurs when the androgen receptor is only partly functional, so tissues don’t respond fully to androgens. In someone with a 46,XY karyotype, the testes still produce testosterone, but target tissues respond incompletely. This partial resistance prevents full masculinization without causing complete feminization, so most individuals with PAIS present as male or largely male in appearance, often with some undervirilization features (like hypospadias or reduced genital size). That makes a phenotypically male presentation the most typical outcome. Full feminization is more characteristic of complete androgen insensitivity, while a completely normal male phenotype would imply normal receptor function.

Partial androgen insensitivity occurs when the androgen receptor is only partly functional, so tissues don’t respond fully to androgens. In someone with a 46,XY karyotype, the testes still produce testosterone, but target tissues respond incompletely. This partial resistance prevents full masculinization without causing complete feminization, so most individuals with PAIS present as male or largely male in appearance, often with some undervirilization features (like hypospadias or reduced genital size). That makes a phenotypically male presentation the most typical outcome. Full feminization is more characteristic of complete androgen insensitivity, while a completely normal male phenotype would imply normal receptor function.