From Girls to Boys to Older Men: The Interesting Tale of the Guevedoces and 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors
March 2016
in “
The Journal of Urology
”
Studysummary This historical review traces the discovery of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, widely used in urology, from the study of guevedoces, Dominican children with a rare disorder leading to significant androgenization at puberty. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study of the guevedoces, children in the Dominican Republic who appeared female at birth but developed male characteristics at puberty, led to the discovery of 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency. This condition was characterized by genital ambiguity and changes during puberty such as increased muscle mass and deepening voice. The research by Julianne Imperato-McGinley and others in the 1970s highlighted the role of dihydrotestosterone in these changes and spurred the development of 5 alpha reductase inhibitors (5 ARIs) like finasteride and dutasteride by pharmaceutical companies. These medications became widely prescribed in urology, demonstrating a successful transition from understanding a natural phenomenon to creating effective medical treatments.
