Woman born intersex explains how she was able to have sex despite not having a cervix
An intersex woman who was born 'genetically male' has revealed how she does the deed without a cervix.
Jackie Blankenship has opened up on her rare health condition, which she was diagnosed with at the age of four.
The 40-year-old has androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), meaning that while she had genetically male (XY) chromosomes, her body is unable to produce androgen hormones, such as testosterone.
This meant that while she developed and presented as a woman, she does not have a uterus or ovaries, having been born with undescended testicles.
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But these also weren't functional and didn't produce sperm.
The mother-of-one can't have periods, and had her testes removed at the age of 15.
"I don't grow any body hair or pubic hair," the Michigan native explained, adding that it 'never occurred' to her that someone 'wouldn't like' her due to the condition.
The American has opened up on how she's able to have sex without a cervix, having found love with Jim Blankenship, the man she married.
Jackie explained that she underwent vaginal dilation therapy after being told at 18 that she would need that or surgery if she ever wanted to have sexual intercourse.
"I was born with a blind pouch - my vagina doesn't have a cervix - instead it's like a little pouch," she explained.
"Some women have an almost fully formed vagina but many of us have an inch of depth."
Jackie said she had to 'dilate at home' so a vaginal canal could be created, with the therapy lasting about a year in a 'traumatic experience'.
This would involve using 'smooth, graduated-size dilators' in order to gently stretch vaginal tissues.
She admitted: "I didn't know what kind of sex I would be having. I didn't know what I wanted in that department.
"I felt a lot of pressure to be ready. I felt like I had to commit."
The mum worried about 'normalising' her body for a male, even though professionals told her that future partners 'will never know the difference'.
Reflecting on the process, Jackie explained: "It was very triggering for me - what about me? Is it going to hurt?
"The only goal was to be as normal as you can."
While Jackie can have sex today, she explained that she has to stay sexually active or risk her canal going back to how it used to be.
But as she doesn't have a uterus or any sex organs, she could not carry a baby.
Her nine-year-old daughter, Greenleigh, was born after her sister, Danielle Martin, offered to be the gestational carrier for both her and Jim through the process of using IVF and a donor egg.
"It was the best way to be a part of the experience," Jackie said, as she attended every appointment.
Jackie's family didn't suspect anything different when she was told of her condition as she was externally female, though she was told she 'wouldn't develop like her sisters'.
Despite a tough childhood and not going through the same experiences as all her friends, Jackie now aims to educate others on what being intersex means.
She even has a podcast where she interviews other intersex people, though this hasn't stopped trolls from leaving nasty comments.
Speaking about feedback she gets online, Jackie shared: "I get comments that I'm hoodwinking my husband.
"I get comments that I'm a man. They don't understand it.
"We are taught so little about how our bodies work. We're only told black and white, of male and female."
Joshua Nair