prenatal masculinization: in embryonic and fetal life, the masculinizing effect on the sexual anatomy and/or the sexual pathways of the brain that is induced by testosterone, estradiol, or other androgenizing sex hormones. The male fetus produces its own androgenic hormones. The female fetus does not need to, produce feminizing hormones in order not to masculinize, as nature's basic design is to differentiate a female. Masculinizing is nor synonymous with defeminizing. Thus some masculinization and some feminization of the brain and behavior may coexist.
Dictionary of Sexology Project: Main Index