In addition, although there is a known diurnal vari-
ation in hormone levels in men, phlebotomy oc-
curred throughout the day and time of blood draw
was not captured in data acquisition. As there would
likely be a random distribution across genital
lengths, such measurement variations would likely
lead to a regression to the null. Nevertheless, an
association was found. In addition, only men re-
ferred to and evaluated in our clinic were eligible for
enrollment. Therefore, it is possible that our patient
population does not represent all men.
Nevertheless, our study represents the first anal-
ysis to show an association between perineal length
and androgen levels in men. Coupled with recent
data examining adult AGD and sperm production,
AGD may predict normal genital development in
men and, therefore, could provide a novel metric to
assess testicular function. If AGD at birth predicts
adult AGD, our findings suggest that serum testos-
terone levels in adulthood depend on factors operat-
ing in the fetal period.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ross Krasnow and Sandra Alexander assisted in
recruiting patients.
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