Stan Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) Inside the astonishing village where about 1 in 90 kids are born girls and become boys at puberty Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph | September 20, 2015 5:09 PM ETMore from The Telegraph FotoliaAll babies in the womb, whether male or female, have internal glands known as gonads and a small bump between their legs called a tubercle. At around eight weeks, male babies who carry the Y chromosome start to produce dihydro-testosterone in large amounts, which turns the tubercle into a penis. But some male babies are missing the enzyme which triggers the hormone surge, so they appear to be born female. They call them the “machihembras” — the men who are born as women. The group, who live in Salinas, an isolated village in the south-western Dominican Republic, suffer from a genetic deformity that has stunned scientists. Despite appearing to be girls at birth, they are biologically male and only when they approach puberty do they develop male organs. Johnny is one of the many children affected. While his story may seem extraordinary, cases of little girls turning into boys are so prevalent in the village of Salinas that it is no longer considered abnormal. Johnny, 24, was originally named Felecitia by his parents and brought up as a girl.“I remember I used to wear a little red dress,” he said. “I was born at home instead of in a hospital. They didn’t know what sex I was. I went to school and I used to wear my skirt. I never liked to dress as a girl. When they bought me girls toys I never bothered playing with them. All I wanted to do was play with the boys.” I never liked to dress as a girl. When they bought me girls toys I never bothered playing with them. All I wanted to do was play with the boys His story will be featured in a new BBC Two series Countdown To Life – The Extraordinary Making Of You, presented by Dr. Michael Mosley. The rare genetic disorder occurs because of a missing enzyme, which prevents the production of a specific form of the male sex hormone – dihydro-testosterone – in the womb. All babies in the womb, whether male or female, have internal glands known as gonads and a small bump between their legs called a tubercle. At around eight weeks, male babies who carry the Y chromosome start to produce dihydro-testosterone in large amounts, which turns the tubercle into a penis. But some male babies are missing the enzyme which triggers the hormone surge, so they appear to be born female. It is not until puberty, when another large surge of testosterone is produced, that the male reproductive organs emerge and their voices deepen. What should have happened in the womb, happens around 12 years later. For Johnny, it happened at the age of seven. He claimed that he had never felt like a little girl and was far happier after he fully became a boy. “When I changed I was happy with my life,” he said. A little boy named Carla is currently going through the same transformation, aged nine. Despite being brought up as a girl, his mother noticed that from the age of five he was more inclined towards the rough and tumble play of boys. He has recently had his hair cut short after wearing plaits. Many decide not to change from their female names, so some men in Salinas have names such as Katherine. Also referred to as the Guevedoces – which translates to “penis at 12” – they were first discovered by Dr. Julianne Imperato an endocrinologist at Cornell University in the 1970s. Further cases have since been seen in the Sambian villages of Papua New Guinea, although the Sambians often shun the children – unlike the Dominicans, who celebrate the change. Approximately one in 90 children in Salinas are affected and although they resemble sexually normal males, subtle differences do still exist in adulthood. Most have decreased amounts of facial hair and smaller prostate glands relative to the average male. It is thought that the condition has persisted through generations because of the isolation of the villagers. Edited September 21, 2015 by Stan Quote If you receive benefit to being here please help out with expenses. https://www.paypal.me/clubadventist Administrator of a few websites like https://adventistdating.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayatfootofCross Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 yes i read about this thanku for putting this up it might wreak havoc on some theology to the Glory Of GOD Quote For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for You to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️? " If you tarry 'til you're better You will never come at all " .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved Glen Campbell If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Romeo and Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outta Here Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Interesting, but not really strange--at least not to me. Just another facet of the broad spectrum of human beings that we are. I'm glad to learn that the community this article discusses embraces these young people as fully human and not people to be shunned merely because of a problematic enzyme. What would happen if they were born into poverty in America? Or, if they were born into wealth in America? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonnie Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 yes i read about this thanku for putting this up it might wreak havoc on some theology to the Glory Of GOD Doesn't have anything to do with theology. The rare genetic disorder occurs because of a missing enzyme, which prevents the production of a specific form of the male sex hormone – dihydro-testosterone – in the womb. This occurs without medical intervention and sounds like it is caused by incest. Not months and months of hormone therapy and surgical intervention It is not until puberty, when another large surge of testosterone is produced, that the male reproductive organs emerge and their voices deepen. phkrause 1 Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rudywoofs (Pam) Posted September 21, 2015 Members Share Posted September 21, 2015 very interesting! And obviously a genetic factor in the probability of the missing enzyme. And interestingly, there are other very close-knit communities where members intermarry often, yet apparently do not have this genetic factor... (think of the Amish, for example). Quote Pam Meddle Not In the Affairs of Dragons; for You Are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup. If we all sang the same note in the choir, there'd never be any harmony. Funny, isn't it, how we accept Grace for ourselves and demand justice for others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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