Hello, I stumbled upon this forum while doing some research on intersex. However I cannot find anything written about fertility?

Is it possible for an intersex person to sire or bear children?

Thank you
Tammy

Hi Tammy,

Yes, many people born intersex can and do have children. Dandara has two!

Betsy

__________________
Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is. --Margaret Mitchell

Tammy,

Although it's possible for people with certain forms of intersex to have children I'm afraid that for many of us this isn't the case. Intersex is a broad term, applying to a number of conditions. Here are a very few of the better known ones...

XO - Turner's syndrome - fertility is extremely rare, have a uterus
XY - Swyer's - no eggs but may have uterus
XY - CAIS - never fertile, no uterus
XY - PAIS - rarely fertile
XY - Leydig Cell Hypoplasia - never fertile, may have a uterus
XY - Kallman's - sometimes fertile
XY - 5-Alpha Reductase deficiency - sometimes fertile as a male
XXY - Klinefelter's - rarely fertile
XYY - sometimes fertile
XO/XY - xyTurners - sometimes fertile early in life (as a male)
XO/XX - Turner mosiaic - sometimes fertile early in life, has uterus
XO/XXY - Turner/Klinefelter mosaic - rarely fertile
XO/XYY - sometimes fertile early in life (as a male)
XX - sex reversal (TDF translocation) - not fertile
XX/XY - sometimes fertile
XX - CAH - sometimes viable eggs but uterine problems
XX - PIV - sometimes viable eggs but uterine problems
XX - true hermaphrodite, may have ovarian tissue, may have uterus

Jane :)

Uterine problems? In CAH? What kind of uterine problems? LOL...is this something else the doctors never bothered to share?

Betsy

__________________
Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is. --Margaret Mitchell

Sorry Betsy,

You're right. My mistake. I had forgotton that CAH doesn't have a problem with Mullerian inhibition (as does CAIS). Given that, however, isn't fertility still an issue in cases of CAH severe eough to result in fused labia? If fertility is never an issue in CAH then that's great. Would that it weren't an issue for the rest of us.

Kind regards,
Jane

I stand corrected on PIV (Progestin Induced Virilization) as well. The drugs that affect the reproductive tract, sometimes resulting in a masculine phenotype, may not affect the uterus. Carrying a child may be problematic, however, due to the external genitalia. It can be difficult to pass even menses through the urethra.

Dear Clara Jane:

There are messages about fertility on there board so perhaps fertility is a problem for people with Late onset CAH until their hormones get regulated from lacking some cortisol from all those years. As soon as their excessive androgens come under acceptable levels for them, they usually write back to say that they are pregnant. I have to say though that LOCAH is not considered INTERSEXED.

With CAH, women only have female chromosomes and only "standard" (I hate the word normal) inside female organs.
I was born with a fused labia and a clitoris that I voided out of.

It didn't look like a clitoris or a penis but something inbetween. What the heck was that? the doctors must of thought ? So, they did all their tests and ex-rays and found that under all that virlization was just two overies, a uterus, and a vagina. Boring ...right ?

At 5 years old they performed a clitoridectomy and a vaginoplasty. Fused no more and never used any dialators or anything like that either.

I started my period at age 12 and it has been regular every month. I had another vaginoplasty at age 21 to open up the vaginal canal even more. My doctor have always told me that having the regular periods are the most important part in getting pregnant and I do.

I just had another ultrasound for a new gyno and he personally showed me where everything was. I aked him if everything was there in working order and he was said,"Yes, it is." He was looking at me like relax,OK. The only thing that one doctor did tell me that I might have to have a cesarean (sp?) section due to being petite

I know of a couple people with Simple Virlizing CAH and Salt Wasting CAH that gave birth to children. Two of the women even have three kids.

Aimee

I have PIV and fertility has not been a problem.

I haven't ever tried to get pregnant, but at 44 still get my period every 28 days without fail. Even after having half of my left ovary removed due to an ovarian cyst. My periods started at 13

Like Aimee, I was born with an "enlarged" clitoris and fused labia and had a vaginoplasty to enlarge my vagina, in my case at 18.

But no way can I imagine vaginally delivering a full size baby -- I think it would take a c section to get the kid out.

-Susan

ClaraJane,

Thanks for putting all this together for us! It is interesting to see how different type of IS can be affected in reguards to reproduction. I've always known that being able to reproduce is an individual case even for IS people, but this is interesting to see trends involved with different types of IS.

Hugs,
CR