Human sexuality has been a mystery since the dawn of humankind. Its indecipherable nature calls for progressive dissection to get the hang of its platonic, objective, and psychical understanding. In recent times, the self-definition of our sexuality has gained eminence and acceptance....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Proclamations such as ‘we are who we are’ and ‘accepting our sexuality constitutes our basic rights, freedoms, and avenues of happiness’ have been graced.
Needless to say, this modernistic approach has led to the disclosure of certain aspects of sexuality that are mind-boggling. Below is a series of bizarre defects of the human sexual organs.
1. Hermaphrodite
It is a person who has both female and male sexual traits. Customarily, this occurs when the person has exterior organs for one sex while internally, the person has the reproductive organs of both sexes, i.e. the ovarian and testicular tissues. Occasionally, pseudohermaphrodism occurs where the person has both male and female sexual organs externally.
This situation is confusing even for doctors. As a result, a DNA test can be performed to ascertain the person’s sex. Some parents decide when their child is still an infant to perform surgery to resolve their sex.
On other occasions, the individuals grow with the ‘confusing’ genitalia until they can decide on their own what the dominant sex is. A famous example is the Olympic gold medalist, Caster Semenya. Despite competing as a girl, her body and hormonal variance were more male than female, which led to a famous case of gender testing.
Due to the possibility of ridicule and stigma from society, many intersex people seek medical help to correct this condition. Nonetheless, surgery can result in undesired consequences such as not fitting in the chosen sex, loss of sexual sensitivity, and/or incontinence.
Instead, we should embrace nature and treat these individuals just like normal humans while trying to satisfy our curiosity.
2. Diphalia
This queer deformity happens when a single male has two penises. In most cases, the penis is slit along its shaft. It is believed that during the fourth week of a fetus’s development, the urology-genital forming tract is cut apart due to environmental factors or genetic mutations.
A famous example is the DoubleDickDude, an anonymous diphallia living on America’s east coast. His AMA on Reddit was one of the most famous to date. This condition is, however, not hereditary and occurs rarely, once in 2.5 million males.
The standard treatment for this condition would be to remove the superfluous penis surgically. Some daphaliac cases may be too severe and need complex regeneration.
3. Uterus didelphys
This condition occurs when a woman’s uterus has two paired organs, meaning there are two cervixes, and on infrequent occasions, two vaginas develop. During fetal development, two uterine horns combine to form a single uterus. This fusion doesn’t occur in these women.
The condition occurs in less than 0.5% of women and can go unexposed unless a medical condition or pregnancy occurs.
Incomplete division is associated with several complications, such as premature births, infertility, and miscarriage. For this reason, women with this condition require regular attention, and in 8 out of every 10 pregnancy cases, a caesarian section may be necessary.
On the other hand, women with complete duplication will, in most cases, lead normal lives, i.e. sexual and pregnancy. Consequently, treatment may not be necessary. Of course, your healthcare provider would be the best person to determine whether you need treatment.
4. Polyorchidism
This abnormality is rare and constitutes a male with more than two testicles. In most cases, triorchidism, with three testicles, is reported, with the extra testicle occurring on the left scrotum.
The condition is believed to happen when the embryologic crease is cross-divided. There are no symptoms, and to diagnose it, a man may need testicular biopsies. The most common problem associated with it is testicular torsion.
Most reported cases have been managed by carving the supernumerary testicle if a duct does not exist only. Further follow-ups are conducted to study the effect of the extra testicle on spermatogenesis.
Such individuals could be biologically alpha males as they can produce more male reproductive cells than the rest. Only studies could determine whether this abnormality is not as bad as it looks and probably advantageous. I am not sure of that, though.
5. Persistent Cloaca
Persistent cloaca refers to a convoluted abnormality among female anorectal deformities. The vagina, urethra, and rectum converge together to form one channel. It is estimated to occur in 1 out of every 20,000 live births.
The main problems associated with it include bowel and urinary control and sexual activities such as menstruation and intercourse. A reconstructive surgery exists, but it’s generally accepted to be very risky, expensive, and may not guarantee normal bowel and urinary continence.
As you would imagine, sexual function in women with persistent cloaca anomalies is complicated. First, they have to deal with the psychological aspect of engaging in sex. Physically, these women may require revision of the vagina to facilitate intercourse. Otherwise, intercourse may be a harrowing and traumatic experience for them.
6. Peno-scrotal transposition
This exceptional malfunction of the male reproductive organs involves the penis and scrotum switching positions. It is a flaw in the caudal transfer of the inchoate scrotum in the intrauterine life.
Among deformities associated with scrotal development, it is generally agreed to be the most severe when the penis and scrotum are cephalic to each other. It also symbolizes other deformities, such as those in skeletal and intestinal systems. It’s not very common compared to other deformities, so it isn’t easy to ascertain its frequency.
The good news is that we have developed corrective surgeries for less severe cases. It includes a three-phase surgical procedure over several months. So long as the patient achieves a gratifying penis position and exquisite cosmetic outcome, why not?
7. Cryptorchidism
This condition occurs when one or both testes in a male do not descend into the scrotum. In normal fetal development, testes develop in the fetus’s belly and descend into the scrotum after birth.
In some kids, the testes will descend after birth on their own, but in some cases, the testes will remain in the groin area. This condition is common but treatable. It is recommended for kids above six months old since studies have shown more success in much older kids.
Usually, a careful examination of the groin and femoral region is conducted. Once the health care provider comes into contact with the testes, they gently propel the other hand towards the scrotum.
The healthcare provider will sustain them in this position for under 30 seconds. The aim would be to ensure the cremaster muscles are tired and do not push them back.
If, after their release, the testes maintain position, then they are retractile testes, and no further medical attention may be required.
If they retract back to the groin area, just like a young man who has come of age but decides to move back to his parent’s house instead of making his own life, a different technique may be required to ensure the testes are in their correct and natural position. In this case, surgery may be the necessary option.
8. Anorchia
Unlike cryptorchidism, Anorchism is the complete absence of testes. During fetal development, testes must develop within eight weeks for a boy to be born. If they develop but disappear between weeks 8 and 12, then the fetus develops ambiguous genitalia.
On the other hand, if the testes disappear between weeks 12 and 14, Anorchia is developed. The cause of this condition is yet to be determined. The major implication is that the Anorchistic individual is infertile.
As bizarre as it may seem, men with anarchism may fail to achieve puberty, develop women-like breasts, lack pubic, chest, or facial hairs, non-muscular bodies, and a voice that sounds like that of a child.
Such a person will, therefore, need lifelong androgen supplements. In addition, some men may be traumatized by this reality, and hence, prosthetic testes may be inserted to boost their confidence.
9. Ambiguous Genitalia
Ambiguous genitalia is a deformity at birth where the external genitalia lacks the symbolic manifestation of either a boy or a girl. Typically, a girl with ambiguous genitalia will have an enlarged clitoris resembling a small penis and fused labia that are analogous to the scrotum or urethra opening occurring anywhere on the clitoris.
In boys, a small penis may develop and resemble the clitoris, urethra occurring above, within, or below the penis, or a scrotum that is comparable to the labia. Its genesis may include the absence of testosterone cellular receptors, chromosomal abnormalities, and hermaphroditism.
Treatment will depend on the ambiguity of the genitalia, and in most cases, a corrective surgery could be performed to generate or get rid of reproductive organs. In some instances, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is done.
10. Imperforate Hymen
This condition develops during fetal development and results in the hymen obstructing the vagina opening completely. It can lead to the accumulation of menstrual blood during menstruation, which may prove problematic. In infants, it may lead to acute retention of urine.
The commonality of the condition is difficult to ascertain. The good news is that a simple surgical incision can be applied to correct it.
As a bonus, Aphallia, an exceptionally rare malconformation, has been reported. It refers to the absence of either the clitoris or penis. Due to the psychological spin-off associated with it, doctors have to be extremely cautious during prognosis.
The majority of cases reported so far have been male. Typically, an aphelia person would need to have his urethra transposed, while a girl would need early reconstruction and vaginoplasty.
These days, reconstruction surgeries for victims of violence, accidents, fire, or breast and butt implants for models is a run-of-the-mill. It won’t be a big deal to have reconstructive surgery..CONTINUE READING>>
