| Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS website. |
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| Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or see this week's feature M: MRSA. |
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CausesA girl with Turner syndrome only has 1 normal X sex chromosome, rather than the usual 2 (XX). Everyone is born with 23 pairs of chromosomes. One pair of chromosomes, the sex chromosomes, determines the baby's gender. 1 sex chromosome comes from the father and 1 from the mother. The mother's contribution is always an X chromosome. The father's contribution can either be an X or a Y chromosome. A baby girl usually has 2 X chromosomes (XX), and boys have an X and a Y chromosome (XY). A female with Turner syndrome is missing part or all of 1 sex chromosome. This means she has just 1 complete X chromosome. The Y chromosome determines "maleness", so if it's missing, as in Turner syndrome, the sex of the child will invariably be female. This chromosome variation happens randomly when the baby is conceived in the womb. It is not linked to the mother's age. The syndrome can either be described as:
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| OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health continues and you can read this week's feature M: MRSA. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic. | | |
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