What is CHH/KS?

CHH: Short for Congenital Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, CHH is a condition that prevents puberty and causes infertility in both females and males.

Text that is rotating in a circle that says "Scroll Down".

Two hands holding a magnifying glass over a test tube with a DNA helix inside.

KS: In some people, the effects of CHH are combined with a lack of sense of smell. In those cases, the condition is called Kallmann syndrome. Both CHH and Kallmann syndrome are diagnosed and treated in the same way.

An illustration of a nose that has been crossed out.

What Causes CHH/KS?

CHH and KS are caused when there is not enough of the gonadotropin releasing hormone, also known as GnRH.

Hormones are chemicals that carry messages from one part of the body to another. GnRH sends messages to the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland receives a GnRH message, it releases two other hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). LH and FSH are important for puberty and fertility in both females and males.

The gender symbol that represents females.

In females

LH and FSH signal the ovaries to make estrogen and progesterone—hormones important for fertility.

The gender symbol that represents males.

In males

LH and FSH signal the testes to make testosterone and sperm.

In people with CHH/KS, the lack of GnRH leads to low levels of LH and FSH. This leads to puberty disruption and infertility.

Recognize the Signs and Symptoms

Hear from us

Please complete the fields and we’ll be in touch with updates as we grow this site

Text that is rotating in circle that says "Hear from us".

EmailCountry

I am a (check all that apply)

PatientCaregiverResearcherHealthcare ProviderBy checking this box, I am indicating that I would like to be contacted about future website updates and events of the MGH-Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.