When I was going to High School, I think, in the early 60's I first heard about the discovery of Genes and Chromosomes. It may have been earlier but I am not sure. Now, nearly 50 years later, they are splicing genes and doing all sorts of alchemy.
Back then, I don't think they even knew much about XX,XY and certainly not XXY or any other of the myriad number of genetic variations.
The Doctors I have talked to all say that I must be XY because I fathered two children. Yet, I know that something is different about my own physiology. Like the rest of the T folk here, I really knew very early on, but I could not define it, but just knew that somehow I did not fit. It is a common thing.
I was never big, being only 5'7" and <150 lbs. I was however so hairy that it is said that I had hirsutism. And it was only just now, that I find that some references see it as a case of women having too many androgens. Hmmmmm.
Still, my body was always very slim and I was always wider in the hips than in the waist; Hips 41, Waist 27. Though I still fathered two children? In tests over the years, done by very competent testing people in medicine and employment, when ever the subject came up, I was always judged to be very feminine in the way I thought.
So, now I am confused
In the last 5 years, my body has reacted very strongly to estrogen, especially the Vivelle patches. One the Estrodial pills, I never took over 2 mg and the two times I did, I just doubled up and quickly wound up on the psych ward, the sobbing my heart out; we are talking a 9.5 here folks.
So, now, finally to the crux of the question.
I wonder if there are partial intersex conditions that leave one able to bear children but still be very feminine, and react very strongly to Estrogen?
When I was in Thailand, I met several people who were or had taken very high doses of it. One, a Thai national, had been put on it by her parents at or before puberty and was given doses in the 15-20 mg range daily. She'd had SRS while still a very young teen, and I suspect that she was transitioned for the purpose of being a "Lady Boy" in one of the many clubs there. She appeared to be quite happy when I met her at the clinic.
I met one American Twoman who was taking very strong doses of E, and was post op, but still had not grown breasts after a year.
There has to be more to the story.Maybe they wern't my children?
Gwen
Comments
Some thoughts
In one of the other groups I participates in there is a call for supplying materials to a researcher who is tryoong to connect different "levels" of transsexualism correlated to male - female behavior. So this is certainly of interest to a wider group than ts-persons alone.
If you email me private I will be able to conway his emailaddy to you.
Best greetings from
Gunnie
GinnieG
Eeny meeny miney mo
Our bodies are frightfully complex, with hundreds (if not thousands) of molecules interacting with each other. It only takes a cursory study of genetics to realise how seemingly small changes to part of the body's systems / genes can cause huge effects.
So you could potentially have a higher than average number of estrogen receptors, the genes that get 'switched on' by estrogen may "express" at a higher rate than average - I'd say it's perfectly possible to have sufficient androgen levels to successfully father children whilst still being able to have a strong reaction to estrogen.
Don't worry about such things - just consider yourself made as nature intended, and concentrate on living your life and enjoying it (whilst occasionally stopping off here for a little light reading!)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
I think that we should bear in mind
creation isn't black and white; either/or. We are all somewhere on a very wide spectrum, not only of gonadal sex but also of brain sex and sexual orientation. I know that at least the latter can change over time for a number of reasons. My blood shows chromosomes of XY but that means little.
Gwen, you may have sired 2 children but all that means is that you were able to produce active and effective sperm; it says nothing about the rest of your body, brain and so on.
Susie
Mixed genetic
A while a go I find some information about "Chimerism" (from Chimera) it base on a Greek mythical beast with parts from different sources.
In us humans it mean that you could have more than one sets of DNA.
So that could be one of the multiple genetics solution that fits you.
tmf
True genetic knowlege about Intersex
Gwen, there are degrees of intersexing that gives men a femine look and women a mannish look. But the most notable show more evidence ofit.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
New research
tends to indicate that the protein body surrounding our genes, the epigene, can also have an effect upon our behaviour and possibly affect future generations as well, implying that changes that happen to us can be passed on to our children. This epigene/epigenome can be affected by environmental factors, possibly even before we're born and could possibly be part of the reason why we're all so unique and yet the same.
Angharad
Angharad
46 Genes
Gwen, if you read more about intersex conditions, you find that there is a lot more to it than just the X and Y chromosomes. There are genes for hormone receptors and various mediators that live on different chromosomes, not just the so-called "sex chromosomes". The processes that regulate fertility are multiple, and again, genes on several different chromosomes come into play. On top of all that, genes aren't the whole story. There are processes that activate genes and deactivate them, so they're not always expressed.
The questions you ask are all legitimate ones, but there are scientists still trying to figure out these things, so I'm not sure anyone has all the answers yet.
As for the paternity question, a simple cheek swab and a few hundred bucks to a lab will answer that one. If you're taking bets, I'm betting they ARE your kids.
"Your wife is having an affair"
My oldest daughter once told me that Mom was having an affair. Completely unable to respond to this information, I simply told her that "She is not!" Looking back I may have been in deep denial.
Years later, she was working more and more; getting home late; drinking herself unconscious before bed; being aloof toward me.
Well after the Divorce, a friend of mine and I were talking and she said that it was obvious to her that Margie was indeed having an affair and perhaps more than one too.
Maybe my whole past life was a lie and I was the last one to waken to it? I'd always thought her to be completely moral ... It's perhaps fruitless and self destructive to ask these questions, knowing that I will likely not get the real answers this side of the grave.
Over on a web page called intersexualite.org , I just read a bit that said that most intersexuality did not show without testing, and the true incidence could be as high as 4%.
Gwen