An intersex woman has reassured people her sex life is fine and dandy despite her being born 'genetically male'.
Jackie Blankenship is on a mission to dispel misconceptions around the condition, as she doesn't want others in the same boat to feel 'ashamed, confused, and alone' like she did.
The 40-year-old, from the US state of Michigan, found out she was 'born a little different' when she was nine-years-old.
She has a rare condition called Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) meaning that she has an issue with her androgen receptors. Although the mum possesses XY - or genetically male - chromosomes, her body is unable to produce androgen hormones such as testosterone.
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Jackie developed as a woman and presents as such, but does not have a uterus, a cervix or ovaries, meaning she cannot have a period or carry children. Instead, she was born with undescended testicles - which she had removed at the age of 15 - but these also weren't functional and didn't produce sperm.
The radio personality was diagnosed with CAIS at the age of four, but her parents waited for another five years before they sat her down to explain her body 'didn't fit into the standard boxes'.
Reflecting on how she absorbed the news at the time, Jackie told the Daily Mail: "It felt like I was being let in on some awful secret about myself, like there was something shameful or broken inside me.
"I remember feeling confused, alone, and like I was somehow less than other girls. It was deeply isolating.
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"This wasn’t from anything with my family, they never made me feel anything but 'normal' - it was coming from doctors and hospital visits that left me confused."
Her teen years were spent in 'constant fear' that someone would discover she had CAIS, while her experience of going through puberty was also 'confusing'.
Jackie explained she can't grow body hair under her arms or in her pubic area, which only exacerbated how 'different' she felt to her peers.
"I didn’t have the language or support to understand why," she said of the disconnect she felt with her school pals. "There was a lot of shame, and a lot of pretending."
Jackie is happily married but admitted it was 'terrifying to open up about something this personal' when she felt comfortable to tell her partner that she was born intersex.
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"Especially when you’ve been taught to believe it makes you 'less than'," Jackie continued. "A consistent question the doctor would ask me was, 'Have you told your boyfriend?'"
Thankfully, her spouse was 'loving, kind and completely unfazed' by her admission, as she added: "He didn’t see me as 'intersex', he just saw me as me. That acceptance helped me heal in ways I didn’t know I needed."
Now, onto the million dollar question - how does being intersex impact the couple's sex life?
Jackie explained that when she was age 18, she began vaginal dilation therapy, where dilators are inserted into the vagina to stretch the canal, making it functional and more like a typical one.
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"Being intersex doesn’t affect my intimate life," the mum said although she admits she was initially 'scared' that it would complicate her bedroom activity. "I have a fulfilled life like any non-intersex woman."
Jackie also became a mum after welcoming a daughter through a gestational carrier, as her sister Danielle volunteered to be a surrogate.
Explaining why she shared her story with the world, she added: "I went most of my life thinking I was this one in a million case. I never want another kid to feel like I did - ashamed, confused, and alone.
"Sharing my story online has allowed me to connect with thousands of people to educate as well as so many intersex individuals who have stories just like mine.
"That’s why I do it. To educate, to empower, and to start conversations that should have happened decades ago.
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"Speaking openly, connecting with other intersex people, and advocating for bodily autonomy has changed everything. I no longer feel ashamed. I feel strong."
Topics: US News, Health, Sex and Relationships
Olivia Burke