But that's not the only problem. You also don't have a uterus. If Dr. P gives her condition a label at all, he will likely use the term 'androgen insensitivity syndrome' rather than 'testicular feminization syndrome'. But given any name, there is a distinct possibility that Ms. D will go to a library and look it up. The way for her to learn she has testicular feminization syndrome is certainly not when the intern conducts a preoperative evaluation the evening before surgery, or if she happens to glance at her hospital chart.
Informed consent raises two basic issues.
The first is, who can consent to the surgery. Since Ms. D is sixteen she is legally a minor. Nonetheless, there is good reason to suspect that she can understand 'the nature and consequences' of the decision to have surgery, in which case she is a 'mature minor' and could legally make this decision herself. The potential difficulty of dealing with this diagnosis makes it preferable to have Ms. D's parents involved in the decision. Even if the physician wants the parents' consent for the operation, it should never be done without the consent of Ms. D as well.