At what gestational week can the gender of the fetus be visually recognizable?

The gender of the fetus can typically be visually recognized around the 12-week mark of gestation through an ultrasound. During this period, the development of the external genitalia is sufficiently advanced for trained medical professionals to differentiate male from female.

At 12 weeks, structures that will develop into the external genitalia are becoming more distinguishable, leading to the possibility of determining the sex with reasonable accuracy. However, this can still depend on the positioning of the fetus and the clarity of the imaging. It’s important to note that while some features can be observed earlier, they are not reliably distinct enough for a definitive determination until around this time.

This gestational timeframe aligns with common practices in prenatal care, where an early anatomy scan may take place, laying the groundwork for gender identification if desired.