Conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel answered most common questions about how they live their lives
Abby and Brittany Hensel have been very open about growing up as conjoined twins out in Minnesota.
The sisters - who share one body but have two heads - have often talked about their struggles as they are thought to be one of only a handful of sets of dicephalus twins in history.
It came as a shock when Abby tied the knot with nurse and US Army veteran, Josh Bowling, in 2021.
Advert
People were thinking how awkward it would for Brittany if the other two got in an argument, and also what their sex life would be like?
Also what would happen if Brittany wanted to marry another person?
Well, to understand how it works between the pair, they have shared some insight into what their daily lives look like.
The twins' rise to fame
The twins first hit our screens aged just six following an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996.
After appearing on a number of documentaries and having their own reality show on TLC, Abby and Brittany pretty much became the most famous conjoined twins in the world.
Despite their fame, both went on to obtain degrees from Bethel University and are now elementary school teachers in their local town. Although, they get just one salary between them.
Abby told the BBC: “Obviously right away we understand that we are going to get one salary because we're doing the job of one person.
“As maybe experience comes in we'd like to negotiate a little bit, considering we have two degrees and because we are able to give two different perspectives or teach in two different ways."
Brittany added: “One can be teaching and one can be monitoring and answering questions. So in that sense we can do more than one person."
How does their body work?
Abby and Brittany are dicephalus conjoined twins, which means they share a bloodstream and all of the organs below the waist.
Incredibly though, they still have two hearts as Abby controls the right arm and leg of the body, while Brittany controls the left.
When it comes to eating, the pair will sometimes have separate meals, but will ideally tend to stick to a single meal, with one person eating at a time. The twins do, in fact, have two digestive systems and two separate stomaches, but because they share the same bladder and excretion system, sometimes one meal is more convenient.
How do the twins drive?
With regards to driving, they passed their test on their 16th Birthday as Brittany explained: "Abby takes over the pedals and the shifter, we both steer, and I take over the blinker and the lights."
Their mother Patty added: "I don't know what would happen if they got pulled over for speeding.
"Would they each get a ticket or just Abby because it's her foot on the accelerator?"
The twins clearly have incredible co-ordination, and are able to play the piano, go bowling, play volleyball and go swimming.
Can the twins have children?
Another common question is will the couple ever welcome children?
"That is probably something that could work because those organs do work for them," the mum explained in a documentary titled Joined For Life.
"Yeah, we're going to be moms," Brittany agreed at the time.
She added: "The whole world doesn't need to know who we are seeing, what we are doing and when we are going to do it. But believe me, we are totally different people."
Topics: Documentaries, Sex and Relationships, US News, Celebrity, Science
Anish Vij