I always felt different as a child - a rare diagnosis explained why > 자유게시판

An intersex activist has revealed their agony at growing up feeling like an 'alien' - which led them to self harm at the age of eight. 

John Junior, a mental health campaigner from Manchester, said they felt misunderstood and 'different' throughout their childhood.

John, 36, who uses they/them pronouns, was diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome - where boys and men are born with an extra X chromosome - at age 11, which helped their feelings 'make sense'.

According to the NHS, usually, a female baby has two X chromosomes (XX) and a male has one X and one Y (XY), but in Klinefelter syndrome, a boy is born with an extra copy of the X chromosome (XXY).

Due to the condition, John said they experience low testosterone and libido, have testicles the size of 'two frozen peas', have more breast tissue than the average biological male and sometimes urinate themselves because of a weak pelvic floor.

John now identifies as gender-fluid but said they continue to face challenges, including virtually no sex drive and 비아센터 dealing with people who fetishise their condition. 

John said: 'I didn't feel like a little boy, I felt like there was nothing inside, I felt like I was not from this planet.

'That sounds pretty crazy, maybe delusional, but that's how I felt.




Intersex activist John Junior, a mental health campaigner from Manchester, who felt like an ' alien ' for years and they began to self-harm around the age of eight

'I felt like an alien… and in year four, I remember having a wee and looking at my todger and just thinking, 'What's this? It doesn't feel like mine', because inside you feel different to how you look.'

Growing up, John said they had short leg syndrome, where one leg is noticeably shorter than the other, and clubfoot, and 비아센터 was bullied at school because of it.

Their self-esteem was extremely low, 비아센터 and they often felt like they 'didn't belong', initially believing it was solely due to the bullying.

They said: 'It was like everything was all too much, people didn't understand me.

'I didn't understand what was going on - I knew I was different from other boys, but I couldn't explain myself or express it… I just felt all alone.

'I used to run away from home and I thought it would make my problems go away.'

These feelings of being misunderstood led them to self-harm from around the age of eight, and they experienced suicidal thoughts for 'years on end'.

In secret, John used to wear their mother's clothes and, after she found out and John told her it 'felt good and normal', she was 'very supportive'.




John, 36, who uses they/them pronouns, was diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome - where boys and men are born with an extra X chromosome - at age 11, which helped their feelings 'make sense'





John was born with an extra X chromosome, usually, a female baby has two X chromosomes (XX) and a male has one X and one Y (XY), but in Klinefelter syndrome, a boy is born with an extra copy of the X chromosome (XXY)





Klinefelter syndrome is one such condition, where a male is born with an extra X chromosome





Due to the condition, John said they experience low testosterone and libido, have testicles the size of 'two frozen peas', 비아그라 구매 have more breast tissue than the average biological male and sometimes urinate themself because of a weak pelvic floor

At age 11, during a pre-operative appointment for John's leg condition, a blood test revealed they had been born intersex and had Klinefelter syndrome.

John said doctors explained they could live a 'normal life', but would need testosterone replacement therapy for the rest of their life.

According to the NHS, intersex - also known as differences in sex development - refers to conditions where a person's sex characteristics do not fit typical male or female patterns.

Klinefelter syndrome is one such condition, where a male is born with an extra X chromosome.

This means the body does not produce the usual levels of testosterone - the hormone responsible for developing male characteristics such as testes, 비아센터 body hair, bone strength and fertility.

John said: 'It made sense - I thought maybe that's to do with how I was feeling, and my mum thought the same.

'I almost had a bit of closure and, as time went on, I started feeling better within myself - but it was very confusing.'

As they grew older, John also noticed anatomical differences.




John said doctors explained they could live a 'normal life', but would need testosterone replacement therapy for the rest of their life





As they grew older, John also noticed anatomical differences. John said they have more breast tissue than a biological male





At age 11, during a pre-operative appointment for John's leg condition, 비아그라 정품 a blood test revealed they had been born intersex and had Klinefelter syndrome





John now identifies as genderfluid but said they continue to face challenges, including people fetishising their condition and having no sex drive

When they reached adulthood, John began to view their gender as 'fluid', describing themself as almost the 'definition of non-binary' because of their 'abnormal chromosomes'.

'It's difficult to explain - I like to wear make-up but I'm not trans, I like having my beard too,' John explained.

'I think everyone wants a label and I don't really feel the need to have a label.'

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