Final answer:
The term congenital refers to a condition present at birth. In the context of fetal development, the testes in males are located in the pelvis or abdomen for most of gestational time, moving to the scrotum before birth. Intersex conditions are congenital and involve atypical development of sex characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term congenital refers to a condition that is present at birth. It can be a result of genetic or environmental influences during gestation. During fetal development, a stage that spans from the ninth week of gestation until birth, a lot of cell growth and differentiation occurs. This process fully develops the structures and functions of the organ systems that were formed during the embryonic period.
Regarding sexual differentiation, this does not begin until the fetal period, specifically between weeks 9-12 of gestation. At this stage, bipotential gonads can develop into either male or female sexual organs. The testes, in males, are located in the pelvis or abdomen for most of the gestational period. They are considered undescended until they move into the scrotum, which usually occurs before birth.
Intersex conditions are examples of congenital differences that may affect sexual differentiation. Intersex individuals have sex traits, reproductive anatomy, hormones, or chromosomes that differ from the typical binary ways human bodies develop. Most medical and intersex community members advocate against unnecessary surgeries to make babies conform to specific gender assignments.