Man born with both male and female genitalia only found out in his 50s
A man who was born with male and female genitalia knew he was different but didn't find out the truth for five decades.
When Australian man Rob Wilson was born his mum didn't want to take him home with her as he'd been born with both a penis and vagina, and three days after he was born he went into surgery.
Speaking to ABC Australia, Rob said doctors 'just sewed up my vagina' and left him with six stitches.
He also remembered his Catholic mother saying to him: "I don't know how you're my child, how God would give me a child like that."
Advert
Rob's siblings also noticed there was something different about him as his brother told him he was 'half like me and half like our sister', while his dad said 'Rob's different but there's nothing wrong with him'.
Rob went in for more surgery and from the age of eight took testosterone tablets every day which caused him a series of health problems, and while he knew he was different, he didn't know why until he was in his 50s.
His aunt was dying when she called him up and asked him to come round as she had 'some information you need'.
It was then that Rob learned he had a chromosomal condition known as 48, also known as 'XXXY syndrome' and Rob realised a regular pain he had been feeling which he'd put down to a stitch had actually been periods.
He also learned that because his body was reabsorbing the menstrual blood he had unusually high levels of iron.
After learning about his medical history, Rob made regular trips to Ukraine to take a drug treatment that was banned in Australia which was a combination of a contraceptive pill, growth hormones and testosterone suppressant.
Doctors told the Australian that he was actually more female than male.
Rob decided to share his story in the hope that the next person this happens to 'gets a better run than I did', reckoning that 'unless the likes of me get it out there, it's going to keep happening'.
He explained to ABC Australia: "The doctors decided, because I peed out of a penis, that I'd be made a boy."
In the course of his life, Rob married and had children, and also became the world's seventh best chicken breeder.
Rob got his first bantams when he was six and now has 'more ribbons than you can poke a stick at'.
Joe Harker