This 15-Year-Old Who Was Brought Up As A Girl Found Out That She Had Male Reproductive Organs.
No matter what society believes and propagates, gender and sex are not synonymous. They are two completely different concepts. While a person’s sex is defined biologically, their gender is what they identify with. It’s easy to confuse the two. However, no matter what your sex is, your story of gender-identity can’t be as peculiar as this 15-year-old girl from Pune who was very recently diagnosed with a rare condition called Androgen insensitivity syndrome. Basically, it means she was genetically born as a male but has all the characteristics of a female.
This 15-year-old girl, from Satara district of Maharashtra, found out this shocking information about her body when she approached a doctor in Pune to find out why she hadn’t started menstruating yet. After running a few tests, it was found that the girl, who was raised as a woman, is actually chromosomally male.
The doctors diagnosed her with a condition called Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). Basically, AIS affects the development of a child’s genitals and reproductive organs. Someone with AIS has some or all of the physical traits of a woman, but the genetic makeup of a man. It’s a very rare condition.
THIS is why LGBTQ+ awareness and LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education is important. i respect the person's decision to undergo surgery but this is a case of intersexuality (intersex is the 'I' in LGBTQIA+) and they could've made a more informed decision had they known about it. pic.twitter.com/be2XKolz5u
— ayush🌙 (@marxpilledpsych) January 26, 2021
Also Read: This Woman Lived Her Life Not Knowing She Had Male Chromosomes. The Condition Is Called Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
Despite finding out her “true identity”, the 15-year-old girl and her parents decided to maintain her female identity for the rest of her life. Dr Manish Machave, gynaecologist and endoscopic surgeon, who diagnosed her condition explained the details of her condition. He mentioned that this girl has partial AIS. Which means she has an abnormal vaginal development and does not have a uterus and ovaries.
Dr Machave said, “She is diagnosed with partial AIS. Androgen is a male sex hormone. In a person having AIS, the body becomes insensitive to male hormone. In the AIS-partial type, people can get a mix of male and female features. In this case, she did not develop breasts, her vaginal development is abnormal, and she does not have uterus and ovaries.”
A team of doctors are now assisting her to live with her female identity. The girl recently had gonads (testis) removal surgery done. She also had breast augmentation surgery. Doctors also plan on giving her hormonal injections to curb the growth of further masculine features. Once the girl is 18 years old, the doctors will perform laparoscopic vaginoplasty (surgical creation of the vagina). After all these surgeries, this girl will be able to live a normal life as a female. However, since she does not have a uterus and ovaries she will not be able to get pregnant.
Dr Anupama Mane, who performed the breast augmentation on her said, “She was brought up as a girl and hence she wanted to remain so. We performed breast augmentation surgery for her. Hormonal injections will be required for things like hair growth to stop. We are assisting her to complete her transition as a female. The medical treatment to give her feminine characteristics will go on for years.”
AIS is a genetically inherited condition and it’s extremely rare. According to reports, only four people per one lakh population suffer from it. However, due to stigmas, scarce awareness and a lack of access to healthcare, a lot of cases go undiagnosed.
We are glad this girl is getting the help she needed!
https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/this-teen-from-the-usa-was-born-and-raised-as-a-boy-but-is-now-four-months-pregnant/
