Where to find a hermaphrodite. Hermaphroditism in humans: causes, symptoms, treatment

Nature has clearly divided human organisms into male and female. The difference is manifested not only in the structure of the genital organs, but also in external data. Voice, hair growth pattern, mammary glands, distribution of fat and muscle mass are closely related to the predominance of hormones of the same sex. But sometimes it is difficult to determine from external data whether it is a man or a woman. This is how hermaphroditism can manifest itself.

Types of disorders of differentiation by sex

According to the timing of appearance, hermaphroditism is divided into:

• congenital;
• acquired.

The first of them depends on the intrauterine development of the child and the correct formation of the pelvic organs. Acquired develops with damage to organs that produce hormones with the subsequent appearance of secondary sexual characteristics (for example, damage to the pituitary gland, hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex).

There are also two main types of hermaphroditism:

• true, is extremely rare, about 200 cases have been registered in medical practice;
• false, which is masculine and feminine.

Genitalia develop in boys from the mesonephric duct, and in girls from the paramesonephric duct. Already at the 3rd week of embryonic development, the formation of sex-appropriate organs begins.

The uterus, appendages, and vagina are formed from the paramasonephric duct. The mesonephric duct atrophies. If the rudiments of the genital organs of both sexes continue to coexist in the body, then true congenital hermaphroditism develops.

False female hermaphroditism develops somewhat differently. The reason is a defect in the enzyme system, which leads to disruption of cortisol synthesis in the fetal adrenal cortex and excessive formation of androgens. Internal organs - the uterus, ovaries - develop along the normal path, but the influence of hormones leads to the formation of the external genitalia of the male type.

What is the difference between true and false hermaphroditism?

This can be explained based on the structure of the genital organs. If an individual has glands of both sexes, then this condition is called true hermaphroditism.

The location of the gonads may be different:

• bilateral - there is an ovary and a testicle on each side;
• unilateral - on one side there is a male and female gonad, on the second - only one of them;
• lateral - on each side there is a gonad of its own type - one female and one male;
• bilateral - the gonad consists partly of ovarian and testicular tissue.

False hermaphroditism can be female or male. Moreover, both sexes retain the corresponding karyotype. For women it is 46ХХ, for men 46ХУ. But externally, gender characteristics of the opposite sex are added.

Manifestations of various types of hermaphroditism

True hermaphroditism

True hermaphroditism has various manifestations. Its presence is not always determined at the birth of a child. Sometimes the appearance of the genitals allows you to determine gender, but during adulthood additional signs appear. Patients seek medical help for the first time when, during puberty, there is underdevelopment of the female genital organs, if upbringing and social development took place as a girl.

Visually, the genitals with true hermaphroditism are formed according to four types:

1. Predominantly female type - the clitoris is slightly enlarged, the opening in the vagina is preserved, and there is a separate opening of the urethra.
2. The clitoris is enlarged to a size that makes it similar to a penis, there may be folds of skin that imitate the foreskin, the mouth of the urethra and the entrance to the vagina are located separately.
3. The urethra has an opening into the vagina, there is a small penis, and sometimes a prostate gland.
4. The genitals are differentiated on the male side - the urethra comes out on the head of the penis, there is a scrotum. But in parallel there is an underdeveloped vagina and uterus.

The testicle can be localized in various places:

• in the scrotum;
• a fold of skin resembling the labia;
• in the inguinal canal;
• abdominal cavity.

There is often an inguinal hernia. The seminiferous tubules are usually atrophied, but in some hermaphrodites spermatogenesis is preserved. In 25% of cases are registered.

During puberty, signs of virilization develop, and development can follow a bisexual pattern. The voice remains low, the figure has both feminine and masculine features, hair grows like a man, and there are mammary glands. Menstrual bleeding with the female type of development of the genital organs has a normal appearance, if the male type predominates, blood appears in the urine during menstruation.

Violation of sex differentiation affects social behavior and leads to bisexuality, homosexuality, and transsexuality.

False female hermaphroditism

The development of pathology occurs with hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex and the formation of adrenogenital syndrome.

The disease is associated with a tumor of the adrenal cortex or congenital cortical hyperplasia. The pathology can be congenital or acquired. The tumor can occur at any age, and the congenital form is inherited. Pathology can have several forms, which differ in clinical picture:

• virile;
• salt wasting;
• hypertensive;
• virile with periods of fever.

The manifestation of excess androgen synthesis is the formation of external sexual characteristics. Such patients have signs of hermaphroditism, which make them look like men:

• low voice;
• developed muscles;
• male pattern pubic hair growth;
• excess body hair – hypertrichosis;
• mustache and beard.

At the same time, the amount of anabolic hormones is increased. Therefore, children with adrenogenital syndrome experience rapid growth. But due to the early closure of the ossification zones in the epiphyses of the bones, by the age of 9-13 years, growth completely stops, usually it does not exceed 145 cm.

In children of primary school age, the body is disproportionately developed: the body is long, the head is large, and the limbs are short. With congenital adrenogenital syndrome, the clitoris may be hypertrophied.

Changes in appearance lead to problems in the psychological sphere - such children may be shy, uncommunicative, with delayed intellectual development, decreased or increased sexuality.

The salt-wasting form develops in newborns at 2-3 weeks of development. In this case, symptoms of dehydration are observed, the child constantly vomits. Fluid loss cannot be eliminated by taking it orally. Facial features become sharper, the skin becomes dry, its turgor decreases, and the complexion changes from pink to sallow. In severe cases, peripheral circulatory failure, vascular collapse occurs, convulsions and heart rhythm disturbances appear. Sodium and chlorine in this form are intensively excreted in the urine.

In the hypertensive form, the clinical picture is characterized by attacks of arterial hypertension, which is resistant to the action of antihypertensive drugs, but can be corrected by prescribing Prednisolone. Constant high blood pressure affects the condition of target organs: characteristic changes in the vessels of the kidneys, fundus of the eye, and dilation of the left ventricle of the heart are observed.

If adrenogenital syndrome is the result of a tumor during reproductive age, then the woman develops the following symptoms:

• or menstrual disorder;
• clitoral hypertrophy;
• hypertrichosis;
• atrophy of the mammary glands;

The degree of severity of false hermaphroditism determines further tactics. If a gender discrepancy is detected, it is necessary to conduct an examination and the necessary treatment.

Ways to determine true gender

Even at the birth of a child, on the 3-4th day in the maternity hospital, a blood test is taken to identify genetic abnormalities - hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis. These pathologies can affect mental development, but with timely treatment, clinical manifestations can be corrected or prevented.

If after the birth of the child there are difficulties in determining the sex, additional examination is carried out.

During an external examination, doubts arise if there is a hypertrophied clitoris, the labia resemble a scrotum, the entrance to the vagina is covered by a skin fold or is absent. Sometimes the ovaries may be located in the labia. The exit of the urethra may be at the base of the clitoris. An ultrasound of the internal organs will reveal the presence of the uterus, ovaries or their absence. An ultrasound examination of the adrenal glands is also performed.

Consultation is carried out jointly by doctors of several specialties - gynecologist, urologist, endocrinologist and geneticist.

The gender and causes of deviations can be accurately determined using the following studies:

• determines the set of chromosomes;
• sex chromatin analysis;
• study of hormone levels: testosterone, estrogens, 17-corticosterone, follicle-stimulating and others.

True hermaphroditism is confirmed by diagnostic laparoscopy and gonadal biopsy. Histological examination helps determine the condition of the tissue, whether it corresponds to the ovaries or testicles.

Opportunities for addressing gender incongruity

Awareness of one's gender occurs in children aged 2 years. Further mental and social development occurs in accordance with this knowledge. The discrepancy between the structure of the genitals and the appearance of one’s gender leads to serious psychological stress. Therefore, it is important to diagnose incorrect sex formation as early as possible and choose a correction method.

Treatment of hermaphroditism is carried out with hormonal and surgical methods. With true hermaphroditism, tactics are determined by the severity of the external genitalia. If they are formed according to type 1-3, then the issue is resolved in favor of the female sex. With type 4 of the formation of the genital organs, the gender selected is male.

Raising children with false hermaphroditism takes place according to the female type. Removal of the hypertrophied clitoris is performed at the age of 1-3 years. The operation may include dividing the fused labia and forming the entrance to the vagina. Sometimes, when the vagina is closed, it may require plastic surgery, which is made from a flap of the peritoneum.

Hormonal therapy consists of prescribing corticosteroids that inhibit excess ACTH synthesis. At the same time, the production of androgens by the adrenal glands is inhibited. For the appearance of signs of female gender, it is prescribed. Combined oral contraceptives can be used to establish a normal hormonal cycle. If growth is insufficient, somatotropic hormone is prescribed.

Hormonal disorders during menopause are eliminated by prescribing replacement therapy.

The effectiveness of treatment for hermaphroditism depends on its causes, the severity of symptoms and the time of initiation of therapy. The sooner this is done, the higher the chances of success. But even with gender correction before the age of 6, it is not always possible to achieve complete feminization of girls.

When treating signs of hermaphroditism that have developed in women of reproductive age, by correcting hormonal levels, the voice becomes softer, signs of hypertrichosis and hirsutism are eliminated. The menstrual cycle is gradually restored. A hypertrophied clitoris can only be reduced surgically.

Some patients may require treatment from a psychologist or psychotherapist to correct behavioral abnormalities.

Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, 1582 (Bartholomeus Spranger)

The son of the gods Hermes and Aphrodite, as evidenced by his name, he was suckled by naiads in the Idean caves. During the wanderings of Hermaphroditus in his native Caria at the age of 15, a nymph saw him Salmacis was inflamed with love for him. When Hermaphroditus bathed in the spring in which Salmacis lived, she clung to him and asked the gods to unite them forever. He fell in love with her. The gods fulfilled her wish, and they merged into one being. According to legend, everyone who drank from this source suffered the fate of Hermaphrodite - if not literally, then at least in the sense that he became painfully feminine.

Salmacis Salmatia - a nymph who lived near a source where Hermaphroditus once stopped to rest. Beloved Hermaphrodite, in a lake in Caria, merged with him into one being.

The myth about her was expounded by Ovid in Metamorphoses. The girl had a charming appearance, combined with ineradicable laziness. Other nymphs, armed with spears and bows, amused themselves with hunting; Salmacis valued “indestructible peace” above all else. Bathing in a spring, combing her luxurious hair, covering her head with flowers, admiring herself in the mirror of the waters - she did not want any other activities. “Why are you ruining your youth in idleness?” - her friends vying with each other reproached her. But they were not successful.

According to later tradition, the spring at Halicarnassus, where this occurred, contributed to the effeminacy of those who drink from it.

Hermaphrodite, mosaic (North Africa, Roman period, II-III century BC)

At his birth Apollo I wanted him to be a boy and die on the water.
According to some reports, lovers Dionysus

In literature

There was a comedy by Posidippus “Hermaphroditus”.

Hermaphrodites

Hermaphrodites are individuals who have sexual characteristics, both male and female. In relation to such people, they also use the following definition: “androgynic,” which comes from the Greek words “aner” - man and “gyne” - woman.

Mythology(Wikipedia)

Androgyne(ancient Greek ἀνδρόγυνος: from ἀνήρ “husband, man” and γυνή “woman”) - an “ideal” person, endowed with external characteristics of both sexes, combining both sexes or devoid of any sexual characteristics.

In mythology androgynes are mythical ancestor creatures, first humans, combining male and female sexual characteristics, less often - asexual. Because the androgynes tried to attack the gods (they became proud of their strength and beauty), the gods divided them in two and scattered them throughout the world. And since then, people are doomed to search for their other half.
In his dialogue “The Symposium,” Plato tells the myth of androgynes, the ancestors of people who combined male and female characteristics. Like the titans, androgynes were terrible in their strength and encroached on the power of the gods. Zeus decided to cut them in half, thereby reducing their strength and arrogance by half. The basis of this myth may have ancient origins, but in Plato’s presentation the myth resembles more of a parody of etiological myths, and in fact serves as an introduction to the doctrine of Eros (it is Eros that unites the separated halves of androgynes). Further description becomes more comical: androgynes had a rounded spherical body, their back did not differ from the chest, there were four arms and legs, on the head there were two completely identical faces, looking in opposite directions, and two pairs of ears.

Every human embryo transforms into a male or female fetus. During its development in the womb, the human embryo, which has a natural tendency to take on female flesh, is subject to changes based on the chromosomes that determine the sex of the future newborn. Various reasons, including hormonal and genetic disorders, can affect the process of fetal development. Let's consider only two main types of bisexual creatures: true hermaphrodites and pseudohermaphrodites.

Hermaphrodite and nymph Salmacis

True hermaphroditism

In the world of vegetation, an individual often possesses both female and male reproductive organs. The same can be said about some lower vertebrates, such as bivalves, gastropods, earthworms and leeches. But this does not occur either in higher animals or in humans.
Sometimes it can happen that a person is born with a penis and vagina, and even with ovaries and a testicle. But these individuals are not capable of reproduction and always one, or even both, genital organs are inactive.
So far, only one extreme case is known in which a human being is capable of normal sexual relations with both a man and a woman. This person had a penis 14 cm long and a vagina 8.5 cm long. The New York Journal of Medicine wrote that he/she had both ovaries and testicles, experienced menstruation and ejaculated sperm. This amazing phenomenon was discovered when the police arrested a twenty-eight year old woman for prostitution. Some time later, the same person was arrested again, this time for rape!

Pseudohermaphroditism

Often, hermaphrodites are people whose genitals are shaped so that they resemble the genitals of the opposite sex. In such cases, we are dealing with pseudohermaphroditism, which affects both men and women. The structure of their internal genital organs is normal, but the external ones give the impression of organs of the opposite sex. In women, the clitoris develops to such a huge size that it can be mistaken for a penis. In men, the testicles and scrotum change and retract inward in such a way that two folds of skin adjacent to each other remain, reminiscent of the labia.
Some male pseudohermaphrodites retain certain masculine characteristics, such as facial hair and a flat chest, while others have feminine ones! figure. Through a simple operation one can completely get rid of femininity, but such a person will never be able to have a child.
Female pseudohermaphrodites are born much less frequently. From a genetic point of view, their internal structure is the same as that of all women. The individual possesses, for example, ovaries, oviducts, and a uterus, but the external genitalia develop into a penis.
At the moment of birth, not all sexual characteristics that distinguish a man from a woman are formed. Newborns have neither breasts nor body hair, and the torso and pelvis of a male and female child are built identically. It is very easy to make a mistake, since the only key feature by which we distinguish a boy from a girl is the appearance of the external genitalia. And then children are raised as representatives of the opposite sex, which is the cause of many abnormal phenomena, both sexual and psychological.
There are cases where external female signs in a man were only the result of accidental atrophy of the testicles. Among the ancient Scythians there were many men with female figures. Herodotus and Hippocrates attributed this anomaly to excessive horse riding during puberty.
At the beginning of this century, the American professor Hammond, who studied Indians from the Pueblo tribe in New Mexico, described the men of this tribe who possessed all tertiary female sexual characteristics. Anthropologist Henry Meij, who also studied the Pueblo Indians, said that they had well-shaped breasts, small genitals, high-pitched voices and very modest body hair. In his opinion, such anomalies are artificial and arose during puberty “due to excessive masturbation and horse riding.”

Hermaphrodites in mythology and history

Hermaphrodite and nymph Salmacis - (Francesco Albani)

In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus was the son of Hermes and Aphrodite. Legend tells that at the age of fifteen he was traveling through Halicarnassus and at the end of his journey he stopped at a lake, wanting to swim. The nymph Salmakis, seeing him naked, fell madly in love with him. However, unable to charm him, she turned to the gods to unite their bodies forever. The prayer was answered, and a bisexual creature appeared in the world. Since then, the lake has gained fame: every couple who swam in it experienced a similar transformation.

Hermaphroditus and Salmacis at the moment of reincarnation, ca. 1516 (Mabuse (1478-1532)

There were many bisexual creatures in Greek mythology. Aesop explained the appearance of such creatures this way: “One night, after staying with Bacchus, drunken Prometheus began modeling human bodies from clay, but made several mistakes...” Thus, androgynists appeared in the world. Plato suspected that for the foreseeable past the human race was composed exclusively of hermaphrodites, each with two bodies, one male, the other female, and two faces on one head. These self-righteous creatures quarreled with the gods, and Zeus, as punishment, divided them into two sexes. Plato explained that the sexual attraction of opposite sexes is based on the desire to reunite the separated halves.

Hermaphrodite, c. 1800 (fresco)

Some medieval Christian theologians believed that Adam was bisexual. Saint Martin of Amboise wrote: "Before the Fall, when man was in a state of innocence, he was self-satisfied like his Creator. He could reproduce and procreate while contemplating his divine body, since he was a spiritual hermaphrodite." However, original sin was the reason that man found himself divided into two halves, which differ not only in appearance, but also in spiritual preferences. Moreover, intelligence and devotion to God are mainly masculine characteristics, while love, admiration, and deification are feminine. The weaknesses and imperfections of each sex can only be corrected through marriage, the sole and fundamental purpose of which is the re-deification of human nature through reunification into one.

Statue of Hermaphroditus. (Pergamon Museum. Berlin)

Many of those who adhered to the theory according to which, together with the end of the world, both halves, both flesh, both sexes would unite in one body, were burned at the stake in the Middle Ages, since a different point of view then prevailed. Even today, Catholic law commands that "the hermaphrodite must decide which flesh predominates in his body to preserve himself according to such declaration."

Fragment of the statue of Hermaphroditus

Fate is cruel for hermaphrodites. Despite their supposedly divine origin, their life was much worse than that of other representatives of the human race. Among many ancient peoples there was a custom of killing children of unspecified flesh immediately after birth. In this way the Greeks sought to preserve the perfection of their own race. For the Romans, such unfortunate people were an evil sign, an unkind omen, and the Egyptians, although they honored such gods as Bes or Ptah, recognized bisexuals as an insult to Nature. At the beginning of our era, the Romans stopped persecuting hermaphrodites, although Titus Livius said that throughout his life he saw many such creatures, but they were all thrown into the river. Some ancients recognized hermaphrodites as the quintessence of perfection and many of the nudes are immortalized in classical works of art.

Fragment of the statue of Hermaphroditus

In the Middle Ages, human characteristics and deviations were subjected to extermination, and bisexual people were persecuted with particular cruelty. According to church teaching, they were in league with the devil, and many died during the Inquisition. The fate of Antide Collas, for example, was typical of that time. Declared a hermaphrodite in 1559 and deprived of her liberty by law, she was examined by several doctors who recognized that her abnormal condition was the result of a relationship with Satan. For her connection with the devil, the unfortunate woman was burned at the stake in the main market of the city.

However, not all hermaphrodites were killed. One could once use a special right and declare one’s choice in favor of one flesh or another, but without the possibility of changing the decision in the future. How difficult it was to apply such a right in practice is well illustrated by the example of Margaret Malor. An orphan, until the age of twenty-one Margaret was convinced that all women were like her, and it was only when she fell ill in 1686 that a doctor from Toulouse made the following diagnosis: “An extremely unusual hermaphrodite, more reminiscent of a man than a woman.”

Hellenistic statue of Hermaphroditus (Lady Lever Art Gallery)

The office of the bishop in Toulouse, on pain of death, ordered Margaret to wear men's clothing. The girl, amazed by this discovery, fled from Toulouse to Bordeaux, where she went to work as a maid for a rich family. But in 1691, a Toulouse who came to Bordeaux recognized her and she became a prisoner. On June 21 of the same year, the municipal court of Bordeaux decided that she should change her name to a man's name - Arno and forbade her to wear women's clothing under pain of flogging.

Having a feminine figure, face, habits and inclinations, Margaret was forced to look for a man's job. “Arno” did not have the physical strength inherent in men, and therefore had to feed himself from alms, by begging. Having somehow managed to get to Paris, “Arno” found the famous doctor, surgeon Savyard, who ultimately made the only correct diagnosis and issued a certificate indicating that the bearer of this, in his physical and mental condition, is much closer to a woman than to to a man. But the doctors and judges did not want to admit their mistakes, and their verdict remained in force until the lawyer, sympathizing with Margaret's torment, convinced the king to intervene in her fate.

The extent to which pseudohermaphrodites were persecuted often depended on the general status of the family to which he/she belonged. An example of this was Charles de Beaumont, Chevalier d'Eon, better known as Genevieve de Beaumont, Mademoiselle d'Eon.

Charles Genevieve Louis Auguste Andre Timothy d'Eon de Beaumont was a pseudohermaphrodite who had a huge influence on the politics of France in the 18th century. It should be emphasized that he was more a man than a woman, lived 82 years and all his life his flesh, his gender remained a mystery. He played the role of a man and a woman with equal success.Husbands sent their wives to him, and fathers sent their daughters, but all their efforts were in vain, because no one could observe even a slight interest in either women or men.

As captain of the dragoons, he showed extraordinary courage at times and, although his friends in arms recognized him as a man, he often discouraged them with his extreme impressionability. Among those who considered Charles a woman was a grenadier captain named Pommereau, who wanted to marry him, as well as the great Beaumarchais himself.

The whole life of the Cavalier d'Eon was extraordinary. Until the age of three he was raised as a girl, but when it was time to study, he entered a military school. As an adult he had a girlish figure, pleasant features and a feminine voice, which did not prevent him from gaining fame as the best swordsman and archer in Europe. Soon the king called Charles to court, because he believed that d'Eon could be used as a secret agent.

Charles was sent to Russia to spy on Queen Elizabeth II. At that time he was introduced as one of her ladies-in-waiting named Lia de Beaumont. One of his most successful undertakings was the organization of the Treaty of Paris. He managed to reach an understanding so useful for France that the English statesman John Wilkes remarked: “This agreement should be called God's Peace, since it does not fit within the boundaries of understanding.”
In 1745, d'Eon got involved in intrigues with the Scots, who were at war with England, and persuaded them to pursue policies useful for France. His role was so great that Beaumarchais once exclaimed: "d"Eon is the new Jeanne d “Arc!”, to which Voltaire replied: “Neither a man nor a woman - and this is precisely the kind of creature de Beaumont is recognized for - should be tested so hard by fate." Later, for unknown reasons, Charles was expelled to London, where he lived as a woman. He was then allowed to return on the condition that he go to a monastery.

d'Eon returned to Paris, where, after an examination, the royal doctor declared him a woman. De Beaumont took the vow of a nun. During the French Revolution, Charles offered his services to the new French government, but they were not used. They say that he ended his life in England as a woman, but she made her living by teaching fencing.

The 19th century saw a breakthrough in trying to scientifically understand the surprising phenomenon of hermaphroditism. Diagnosing hermaphroditism is not easy. The difficulty in this can be illustrated by the example of an American woman named Marie Dorothy, who belonged to a very wealthy family, who was dressed and raised like a woman, but was a hermaphrodite. In 1823 it turned out that he was the only heir to a huge fortune. However, the will for inheritance stated that only a man could be the heir.
Marie was examined by several of the most famous doctors of the time. Two of them recognized her as a woman, three others as a man, and the sixth admitted under oath that this creature was both a man and a woman. The case went to court, and the judge announced a truly Solomonic decision: the male half of Marie Dorothy receives half of the fortune.
Another famous figure was Joseph Maso, born in 1830. The parents named the newborn Marie, raised him as a girl until he was twelve years old, then doctors stated that he was a boy. Then the name was changed to Joseph. According to doctors, Joseph's testicles remained in the abdominal cavity. An extremely enlarged clitoris was mistakenly mistaken for a penis. After Mazo's death in 1864, pathologists stated that, despite the male appearance of the head and body, he was, in essence, a woman who had a vagina, uterus and ovaries. Marie/Joseph had countless relationships with women, smoked, drank, and was interested in politics.

During the 19th century, hermaphrodites became extremely popular as monstrosity attractions. Circus directors argued that with a good “fifty-fifty”—another name for androgyny—the success of the show was guaranteed. However, public display of intimate parts of the body, even as a subject of scientific interest, was unconditionally prohibited. In order to somehow satisfy the interests of the public, they came up with a variety of tricks. According to a belief as old as time, the right side of the body is masculine and strong in nature, while the left side is delicate and more feminine. And hermaphrodites allowed hair to grow on the right side of the body, while the left side was carefully shaved. Short, straight hair on the right side of the head contrasted with free-growing long or carefully combed locks on the left side. With the help of special exercises, the right biceps was enlarged. The left side of the face was decorated with makeup, and the left palm and wrist were decorated with a huge amount of jewelry. To achieve full effect, silicone was often injected into the left breast. Some of the hermaphrodites were hugely successful, such as Diana/Edgar, Bobby Cork and Donald/Diana, who performed publicly as early as 1950.

Hermaphrodites and love

Some "fifty-fifty" aroused real passion. Joseph Nilton was such an attractive hermaphrodite that one American soldier left his wife and children for him. Another, François/Françoise Murphy, was raped by a sailor on the New York subway. Evelyn S. changed her gender at the age of 40 and married her own children's governess.

George W. Jorgensen changed his gender in 1952 at the age of 26. The doctor who performed the operation was forced to repeat it six more times, then he prescribed the patient two thousand hormonal injections. After this, George changed his name to Christina and became a cabaret dancer. One pilot sergeant who had an affair with her claimed that Christina had the most beautiful female body he had ever seen.

Hermaphrodites and sports

In 1966, during European athletics competitions, the topic of the real gender of some female competitors was discussed, which forced the European Sports Federation to subject the athletes there to the test. Many wished to stop participating in the tournament so as not to undergo a humiliating procedure. The rest readily agreed, believing that hermaphroditism would only give them popularity.

This happened, for example, with Bill Raskam, a famous ophthalmologist recognized as one of the promising American tennis players. In 1975, at the age of forty-two, Bill Ruskam came out as a woman and took the name Renee Richards. That same year, he decided to compete in the United States Women's Championship. Refusing to submit to tests to determine the real gender of the participants, Renee brought the case to court. It should be recalled that the examination is not limited only to a physical examination, but is based solely on the analysis of chromosomal cells of the oral mucosa.

Rene's dimensions were quite impressive: 185 centimeters in height and 80 kilograms in weight. An excellent opponent for both male and female players, she literally amazed athletes with the power of her backhand. The American Tennis Federation considered this technique to be the most convincing argument in favor of Renee’s male gender and banned her from competing in international competitions. However, Renee played as a woman in the Australian Open.

Now there are several more individuals whose sex is difficult to determine. However, advances in surgery and psychiatry make it possible for such men or women to make an unambiguous decision to change sex. Men become good housewives, and women become priests, soldiers or athletes.
The mother gave birth to either a boyfriend or a daughter that night!

This man has two names, two destinies, two genders: nature created him as a man,
and a woman at the same time. He lived for 30 years as the pretty Khadycha, and then became the courageous Kharis
...Mother Nature also makes mistakes, endowing her child with a male body and a female soul. People have learned to cope with this tragic absurdity with the help of a scalpel - gender reassignment has turned into a surgical operation. But what to do in the case when at birth it is not precisely determined who this time turned out to be: a man or a woman? The choice remains with the person, and often his whole life is not enough for him to understand himself.
The doctors did not know what to tell the woman in labor.

We arrived to visit Kharis Kamalov, who lives in the village of Malaevka, Cherdaklinsky district, Ulyanovsk region, immediately after the New Year holidays.

We knocked on the door of the desired house. “Ah-ah! Come visit us!” - the man looked at us over his shoulder and continued to carefully sweep the floor. He finished cleaning and straightened up. Gray hair, a womanly smooth face - not a stubble, not a pimple, well-groomed hands and strange eyes - black with glitter. “He really looks like a woman!” - this thought made me feel creepy.

But then an elderly woman came out of the room and introduced herself: “Kharis’s wife, call me Nurgalyam.”
Without asking why they came, she sat us down at the table and sent her husband to put the kettle on. “Let's eat Tatar pancakes!” - she explained affably.

It was a real pleasure to communicate with Nurgalyam - cheerful, open. It’s more difficult with Kharis. And even then, he felt that I was stealthily looking at him. Who will like it? But then, when we sat and got used to it, the owner of the house told his amazing story.

Kamalov’s parents also lived in Malaevka. Haris's mother really wanted to have a daughter. The birth went well. “Who do I have?” - asked the woman in labor. The doctors hesitated in confusion: the newborn had both male and female genital organs. Until this day, doctors only read about this in textbooks and told parents: decide for yourself what the baby should be. They agreed to consider the baby a girl and registered her under the name Khadycha.
Khadycha realized early that there was something wrong with her. The mother took her daughter to wash in the women's bathhouse, so the women shied away from the naked child like the plague.

The girl grew up, grew long, fluffy braids, began to wear beautiful dresses, and drew in her eyebrows. But in a small village you can’t even hide a sew in a bag.

Yes, Khadycha is pretty and sweet, but she’s just not like everyone else. Guys from neighboring villages came to woo Khadycha. But as soon as they found out about her secret, they turned the shafts. And Khadycha is happy to death! She didn't like guys, but she was interested in girls.

Surprisingly, Khadycha herself was very popular with both men and women. Those round dances revolved around a pretty girl.

At home - lovers, on the street - girlfriends

One day the beautiful Halime came to the village. The guys started spinning around her. Suitors are a dime a dozen! And she liked Khadycha. Soon a rumor spread throughout Malaevka: “There is something between Halime and Khadycha!”
And when Halime settled in Khadycha’s house, fellow villagers literally tormented the guest with questions: “How are you and Khadycha living?” She answered: “We are just friends!”

But Halime was cunning: she fell head over heels in love with Khadycha - as with a man. But Halime did not have the courage to recognize this man as her husband. And the lovers continued to lead a double life: at home - lovers, on the street - girlfriends. Soon such lies became a burden to both of them. Halime ran away.

I met Nurgalyam Khadycha in the village of Yanganaevo, where she came on business. “I talked to her, and there was some kind of excitement in my soul: I liked her, and that’s all! - recalls Nurgalyam. - And these amazing eyes! I was about 30 then, because I was five years older than Khadycha. She buried her husband and her daughter is an adult. I started going to Malaevka to visit. I had relatives there. Here in the evenings there are festivities, Khadycha always plays the harmonica. It's so great! The best! Then the locals told me that it was “double”. At first I was scared, I didn’t even want to see Khadycha anymore. But I soon realized that I loved her.”

The wedding was held at home

Nurgalyam’s romance with Khadycha was short-lived. After a modest home wedding, the wife hinted to her “other half”: “What is the reason for you to remain a woman?” Relatives also advised Khadycha to call herself by a man's name and put on trousers - they say that those around her will not immediately, of course, but in the end they will get used to it.

And Khadycha-Kharis finally made up his mind: he cut his hair short, put on an ironed suit and went out into the street arm in arm with his wife - like an actor on stage! The whole village poured out to see the newlyweds! Kharis blushed and was embarrassed, but he managed.

Kharis turned out to be an amazing husband: affectionate, flexible, understanding. He did all the hard work himself, and also helped his wife in the kitchen. Nurgalyam blossomed before our eyes, literally glowing with happiness. Out of nowhere, envious people appeared among the married couple: either they were irritated by the whole unreality of what happened, or they were biting their elbows for missing out on the groom. And Nurgalyam and Kharis fell more and more in love with each other.

Nurgalyam did not pay attention to the gossip. I was only worried about my daughter, who flatly refused to even meet her mother’s new husband. “Nothing, everything will work out,” she reassured herself.

Years passed before Nurgalyam’s daughter finally agreed to accept her new dad (soon he also became a happy grandfather), and the villagers came to terms with this unusual marriage. Now only evil and heartless people offend the Kamalovs.

Perhaps Kharis was luckier than others: his life turned out to be psychologically and emotionally richer and more intense than that of same-sex intelligent beings. Kharis lives with dignity both as a woman and as a man. Although, in my opinion, Kharis still hasn’t fully figured out who there is more in him.

In the modeling business, feminine boys and girls with a boyish figure are in demand. Sexologists have long considered the podium ideal of beauty, which all aspiring fashion models, and not only them, strive for, to be anomalous, arguing that most model beauties are unlikely to be able to give birth to children. Recent studies have shown that there are a lot of androgynes and hermaphrodites in the modeling environment. Brazilian supermodel of German descent Gisele Bundchen is rumored to be a hermaphrodite. That is why her ex-fiancé Leonardo DiCaprio left her, as soon as it turned out that the girl could not have children for a certain reason.

Who are they - hermaphrodites ?

In ancient Greek mythology, a feminine youth of heavenly beauty, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite, was called Hermaphrodite. According to legend, the nymph Salmacis fell in love with him and asked the Gods to unite her with her lover forever. The gods took her wish literally, and thus the first person with male and female reproductive organs appeared.

Modern science knows that hermaphrodites are born due to a hereditary mutation in genes. For example, a girl’s external genitalia look like a woman’s, but genetically she is a man. Such cases of testicular feminization are the most common. The girl is growing up slender, thin, with narrow hips, just the most sought-after type in the modeling business. Very often, shocking discoveries occur in adolescence or even later, when a girl is worried about the lack of menstruation or, after unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant, consults a doctor.

According to A.V. Pisklakov, Doctor of Sciences, Professor of the Omsk Medical Institute, -

Very often, doctors diagnose “infertility” so as not to reveal the terrible truth that can destroy a person’s entire life. In such cases, the hermaphrodite may never find out who he really is until the end of his days. “In some cases, of course, cosmetic surgeries are performed on the genitals, but genes cannot be changed, only appearance can be changed. Hermaphrodites cannot have children." Among the famous fashion models there are a lot of hermaphrodites who were raised as girls, while in fact they are men.

Here the doctor is faced with moral and ethical problems -

to tell or not to tell the patient the truth. In the West, doctors believe that a person has the right to know who he really is.

Some hermaphrodites decide to correct nature’s mistake and change sex, others leave everything as it is, but usually visit a psychiatrist for many years. There are often cases when a person could not admit the truth and did not find the strength to live on, depression ended in suicide.

Another case of hermaphroditism is men with female functions. A similar incident was described in a shocking novel by Scottish writer Iain Banks "Wasp Factory" 16-year-old Frank grows up to be a flayer and a sadist, he tortures animals, he killed three relatives. A boy hates the whole world after a dog bit off his genitals as a child, turning him into a disabled person. One day Frank learns that his father has been pumping him with male hormones since infancy, trying to deceive nature and turn his daughter Frances into Frank's son.

In ancient mythology, it was believed that people were of three sexes, the third sex combining the characteristics of male and female. People of the third gender were called androgynes.

Androgynes weaved intrigues and encroached on the power of the gods. Plato in the Symposium describes a myth told by Aristophanes: The gods punished people of the third gender by dividing them into two halves, who spend their whole lives looking for each other in order to reunite.

Males with female functions are born with congenital dysfunction of the adrenal cortex (congenital adrenogenital syndrome). The anomaly manifests itself already in the prenatal period, when the development of the external genitalia occurs. For example, in Omsk, out of 200,000 children, four are born with congenital dysfunction of the adrenal cortex. Among such children there is a high mortality rate at an early age.

Modern medicine makes it possible to recognize the anomaly before the child turns 2 years old, but medical errors occur frequently. If the correct diagnosis is made, then the baby undergoes surgical correction, he undergoes a hormonal program, and nature’s mistake can be corrected.

Danila Polyakov

In the modeling business, it is fashionable to be androgynous, this means being slender and looking uni-sex. Among the models there are also naturally androgynous, but most of them keep their secrets secret, and random information about famous people is attributed to the machinations of the yellow press and the gossip of envious people.

The planet is populated by living beings due to their reproduction. Everyone knows how this happens in normal people. But there are people and animals that are hermaphrodites. What are they? Read the article on how hermaphrodites reproduce.

Hermaphrodite animals

In most cases, they are born either females or males. The gender given by nature is preserved. But there are animals whose sex changes throughout their lives. This is influenced by external environmental factors, such as temperature, water salinity, the time during which light and darkness last, as well as their alternation.

Many fish are hermaphrodites, that is, they simultaneously have characteristics of both sexes, or change it during their existence. When the sex of an individual changes alternately, this is called sequential hermaphroditism, which is endowed with many species of fish from different families: wrasse, grouper fish, parrot fish and many others.

The fry are born females, but subsequently their sex changes, they become males and their sex does not change again. This form of hermaphroditism is called protogyny. However, the fry of some species are born males and never change sex.

Marine animals of ancient origin, which include corals, have the ability to change sex. How do hermaphrodites reproduce? Corals have different methods of reproduction: asexual and sexual. Their sex changes due to exposure to temperature. If it increases, females turn into males. Sea cucumbers and sea cucumbers can also change sex.

But shrimp, on the contrary, are born as males. Only after two years they change their sex and live as females for the rest of their lives. In the same order as in shrimp, the sex of a clown fish changes, only this transformation is not influenced by the environment. The goal of the process is to optimize the sex ratio of a given population. Such animals are called social. In this case, if the female dies, the largest growing male takes her place. Gender changes can be influenced by factors of unnatural origin: chemicals, pesticides.

Hermaphrodite - earthworm

Adult representatives of this species of animals are simultaneously endowed with the characteristics, germ cells and glands of both sexes. Such worms are called hermaphrodites. They reproduce in the presence of two living organisms, regardless of their gender.

How do hermaphrodites reproduce? Earthworms reproduce in several stages. First, individuals exchange seminal fluid. It is stored in mucus, which is secreted by special cells of the girdle. When sperm mature, the girdle secretes mucus again, but now a cocoon is formed from it. The worm removes it through the head. When the cocoon moves away from the worm's body, eggs enter it and are immediately fertilized by sperm. An earthworm can reproduce not only in the manner described. The fact is that the cocoon contains many viable eggs. Once in the ground, new worms develop in it. At the right time, they emerge from the cocoon as fully formed worms.

Survival methods

In cases of complete extermination of a species, earthworms have backup methods that help them survive. How do hermaphrodites reproduce? Worms have the ability to reproduce without fertilization. Only in this case will the population consist of only females.

Thanks to their unique methods of reproduction, earthworms are distributed throughout the planet. The only exception is Antarctica, since its soil is under layers of ice. Worms, living in the soil, make it more fertile. They serve as food for other animals.

Hermaphrodite snakes

They are rarely found in nature. Prominent representatives of hermaphrodites among snakes are the species of island bothrops, whose habitat is South America. This species has hermaphrodites and ordinary snakes of different sexes.

In nature, there are snakes that reproduce from the mother’s egg, and the male does not take any part in this. This method is called parthenogenesis. Hermaphrodite snakes are of great interest to scientists. And their methods of reproduction are interesting: heterosexual, hermaphroditic and parthenogenetic.

Hermaphrodite snails

How do hermaphrodites reproduce? To answer this question, you should know that each individual has female and male genital organs. Adult snails change gender, often to female. They breed every year. Readiness to mate is determined by behavior. The snail begins to crawl slowly, with frequent stops halfway and long waits with the front part of the body raised.

When two snails with this behavior meet, love games begin between them, and after them, the act of fertilization begins. In different species of snails it lasts for different times. For a grape snail, for example, it takes a few minutes. How do hermaphrodites reproduce? After mating has occurred, individuals exchange spermatophores for a long time. When the exchange is over, they scatter.

Hermaphrodite people

They have sexual characteristics of male and female. But most often they produce only one type of sex hormones: male or female. Such hermaphroditism is called false. Its true version is practically never found among people, since in such hermaphrodites the body is capable of producing male and female sex hormones. This phenomenon is widespread among animals; this applies to mammals, mollusks, and amphibians.

False hermaphrodites

The appearance of such people is associated with a genetic mutation. Moreover, a person is endowed with the sexual characteristics of a man and a woman. However, the body is capable of producing only one type of hormone. Such genetic abnormalities are much more common in humans.

The prevalence of this phenomenon remains a mystery, since people with such deviations are reluctant to be frank even with doctors. They are uncomfortable with the constant ridicule of society, although the person himself is not to blame for what happened. He cannot cope with hermaphroditism on his own. How do human hermaphrodites reproduce? Thanks to modern scientific knowledge, such people can eliminate cosmetic defects through surgery, live a full life and even give birth to children.

If false hermaphroditism is observed in men, the structure of their genital organs is similar to the structure of women's. This happened due to improper development of the embryo inside the mother's womb. A hermaphrodite boy born is mistaken for a girl in the maternity hospital. But over time, the fatal mistake becomes clear, and this also causes psychological suffering to the person.

For humans, the phenomenon of hermaphroditism is an incident. To date, medicine has not been able to study this phenomenon; there are only a few references to people with such deviations.

Hermaphrodite - why people become like this, who among the known suffered from hermaphroditism. This phenomenon refers to physiological deviations that result in abnormal development of the reproductive system. In some cases, such pathology is hidden throughout the entire life cycle.

Who is a hermaphrodite?

Hermaphrodites are people with abnormal physiology in the reproductive system. In the structure of the reproductive organs, the presence of male and female secondary characteristics is noted. In medical practice, this phenomenon is called “androgynes”. Translated from Greek, “aner” means man, and “gyne” means woman. This disorder is associated with abnormal development of the fetus in the early stages of pregnancy.

In nature, the main representatives of hermaphroditism are distinguished. These include: mushrooms, invertebrate animals and many representatives from the plant kingdom. These types of organisms reproduce independently, thereby increasing their populations several times in one season.

Who are hermaphrodites - symptoms and distinctive features

In medicine, there are two forms of this pathology. Each of them has its own characteristic features and ways of manifestation. These include:

• true;
• pseudohermaphrodite.

In its true form, the pathology is presented in the form of a full-fledged person, who is noted to have a penis and vagina. In addition, there are testes and ovaries. During puberty, complete dysfunction of the reproductive system is noted. In some cases, the fusion of the genital organs into one is observed.

A similar phenomenon occurs in a single case. Such representatives are called hermaphrodites. People with such modifications can have sexual intercourse with both men and women. Upon visual inspection, they are no different from full-fledged people.

Pseudohermaphroditism, in turn, is divided into two categories. It can be female or male. This pathology occurs quite often, in contrast to the true form. In the structure of the reproductive system, the presence of the genital organs of men or women is noted.

Male pseudohermaphroditism is accompanied by correct physiology, but the absence of the reproductive system. He usually has malformed testicles. At the initial stage of formation, they are located in the abdominal cavity. After a certain time, they still do not descend into the scrotum. In addition, the urethra is greatly displaced.

The penis in this case has a disproportionate shape. Upon visual inspection, it is underdeveloped. In some cases it is severely curved.

The mammary glands bear a strong resemblance to female secondary sexual characteristics. They protrude strongly beyond the sternum. Wrong

Female pseudohermaphroditism involves the presence of testicles. In addition, there are pathologies in the structure of the genital organs. The clitoris is large. In some cases, growth of the labia is noted. The labia minora are completely absent. The mammary glands are more reminiscent of a man's.

There is excessive hair growth on the woman’s body in the chest, groin and face areas. The larynx has an incorrect structure. As a result of this, the patient notes a dull timbre of voice, which has some similarities with a man’s.

Types and forms of hermaphroditism

As noted above, this pathology is divided into two types: true and false. The first variety occurs 1 time in 200 cases. The second occurs among women and men.

False hermaphroditism in boys begins to form already in the 3rd week of pregnancy. As the raft grows, a mutation in the reproductive organ is noted. At birth, infants are diagnosed with a partial absence of the scrotum. The testicles remain in the abdominal cavity for a long time. During puberty, a mutation in the scrotum is noted. Upon visual inspection, it resembles the labia majora.

False female hermaphroditism develops a little differently. In the fetus, at the 2nd week of development, the rudiments of the vagina and uterus are noted. The main cause of the pathology is associated with a violation of the synthesis of cortisone in the adrenal cortex. This is accompanied by a mutation of the genital organs. Upon external examination, they resemble male ones.

If the presence of both sexual characteristics is stated in the fetus, then this phenomenon refers to true hermaphroditism. According to the location of the genitalia and internal contents, it is divided into:

• bilateral. The testes and ovaries are observed on each side;
• unilateral. On the one hand, one of the reproductive organs is present;
• lateral. The female and male gonads are celebrated here;
• bilateral. In this case, the gonad consists of male and female sexual secretions.

The lives of famous people who are hermaphrodites

Such deviations in the structure of the reproductive system have always been the subject of special attention among strangers. They were most often subjected to constant ridicule or cruel treatment. In the Middle Ages, true hermaphroditism was much more common. People with such pathology were considered involved in evil spirits.

For example, Andita Kolas, who was given a similar diagnosis in 1558, was imprisoned. She was under constant supervision by doctors and physicians. At that time, experts were unable to explain the main reason for the appearance of this deviation in the structure of the human body. The main version of the mutation of the genitals was sexual intercourse with Satan. To prevent such a phenomenon, in 1560 Andite was burned at the stake.

The manifestation of hermaphroditism in a person of the 19th century was considered an unusual phenomenon. Attitudes towards people with such deviations directly depended on their status and position in society. Marie Dorothy was a representative of a similar pathology from a successful family. She was raised as a woman, but at the same time she was a representative of the true form of pathology. In the will she was listed as a man. During this period, doctors began to examine her. Each of them offered their own version, in which she was presented as both a man and a woman.

Caster Semenya is a representative of hermaphroditism in our time. She was noted to have the makings of a false form of hermaphroditism. During an external examination, she had the makings of a male body. The face has pronounced cheekbones. Such shortcomings did not in any way affect her successful career. According to sources, the woman won a gold medal in athletics at the World Championships in Berlin in 2009.

Is it possible to cure hermaphroditism?

Today, such a deviation is highly treatable. Many experts note that hermaphrodites need to be dealt with in the first year of a young organism’s life. This will avoid psychological problems and moral perception of the individual.

The diagnosis of hermaphrodite is established in the early stages of fetal development. Already in the 2nd week, ultrasound examination can prevent such a deviation. Special drug therapy can minimize these developmental defects.

Treatment is carried out with hormonal therapy or surgery. The second type is used in the presence of serious deviations in the form of matted genitals.

Complications and consequences

There are a number of consequences and complications for bisexual people. They include:

• with male pseudohermaphroditism, the testicles do not descend into the scrotum area, thereby provoking the appearance of cancerous tumors;
• with false female hermaphroditism, a disturbed urination process is noted. Most of the urine accumulates in the kidney area, thereby causing anuria;
• lack of full sexual contact;
• psychological disturbances in the perception of one’s own personality.