This is American jazz singer and actor Eden Atwood – a beautiful woman, born and raised as a woman but genetically male. Not only does she have the XY chromosome combination but she was also born with male gonads (testes).
This condition which is known as Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), causes the male hormone (androgen) receptors to be insensitive to the hormone as a result of which, even though women with AIS have the Y chromosome and high levels of male hormones, they do not develop male features. There is neither formation of the male external genitalia nor the descent of the testes (which stays in the abdomen), and the body starts developing into the female phenotype. AIS is estimated to occur in one of every 20,400 46,XY births.
Women with AIS are often tall with striking facial features, smooth flawless skin and normal breasts and external genitalia (some of the androgen gets converted into estrogen which causes growth of the breasts); they also do not develop pubic hair and acne which are manifestations of male hormones. However, the absence of a uterus or ovaries means that they neither get their periods nor are able to bear children. The testes in the abdomen also have to be surgically removed at an early age because of the increased risk of cancer.
Because they are born externally female and raised as women, the diagnosis, which is often made in their late teens due to the absence of the onset of periods, comes as a big shock and can affect their self esteem. However, it is important to realize that women with AIS are women, not men and genetics is not the only measure of gender. In cases of partial AIS, where there might be a rudimentary womb, they might also now be able to bear children. In 2015, thanks to egg donation, IVF and hormone treatment which allowed her rudimentary womb to grow, Hayley Haynes, a British woman with AIS, was able to give birth to her miracle twins.