KS / HH occurs in both males and females.

It is diagnosed between 3 to 5 times more often in males than females. This might be due to female cases being misdiagnosed rather than any genetic cause.

The root cause of KS / HH is a failure of the normal communication pathways between two critical endocrine glands located within the brain, the hypothalamus and pituitary.

Even though puberty does not start or fully complete in KS / HH the gonads, the ovaries and testicles, can still be activated into normal function with the appropriate treatment in the majority, but not all cases of KS / HH.