I thought I was born a woman but discovered when I was 11-years-old that I was actually born with a vagina and testes
An influencer who was born with a vagina and testicles has revealed how their mother dropped an earth-shattering revelation that they were born intersex when they were 11 years old.
When Lyss, who lives in New York, was told by their mother that they were going to have a “conversation,” they assumed they would discuss tampons and pads.
But to the then young girl’s surprise, the conversation took a completely different turn when their mother produced a medical folder, which revealed that Lyss was biologically born male.
In a video which now has 1.9 million views, Lyss said their world “crumbled” at that moment, saying: “When I told you the wallpaper on the wall started to melt off and I was sweating and freezing.”
The word intersex is used to describe anyone born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that is not clearly ‘male’ or ‘female’.
Lyss, from New York, candidly revealed in a video that has now been viewed 1.9 million times that they were 11 years old when their mother dropped the earth-shattering bomb
Lyss was shocked when their mother told them at the age of eleven that they would never have children or get their periods.
They said, “The whole world as I knew it completely collapsed. The doctors and my mother told me to keep it a secret, and I did that most of my life.”
Some intersex people have both ovarian and testicular tissue, while others have internal and external reproductive organs that belong to two separate sexes.
Experts believe that approximately 1.7 percent of the U.S. population is born with intersex characteristics, which is comparable to the number of people born with red hair.
From the outside, Lyss seemed like a “typical baby girl” and doctors initially thought the 11-month-old child had a hernia.
But medical professionals soon discovered that Lyss had premature, undescended internal testicles in their abdomen.
They said, ‘They decided to take them out because they were just floating there.’
Since the tender age of 11, the New Yorker, also known as the @intersexwitch, announced that they had undergone replacement hormone therapy.
It is common for intersex people to undergo various forms of hormonal therapy.
Both doctors and their own mothers had urged them not to reveal their intersex status to anyone as children.
But the self-love coach burst at the seams as a youngster with a desire to live their truth and then revealed the secret to close friends.
Unfortunately, this led to bullying, with them stating, “I definitely got bullied when everyone found out.”
“I went to school and told my friends who obviously weren’t going to be my friends forever, and (they) told everyone.”
They openly revealed that outside doctors thought they were a “typical girl” until they discovered premature, undescended testicles in their abdomen – which they initially mistook for a hernia.
The yoga teacher spoke candidly about their own hormonal journey, boasting, “Even though I took estrogen in middle school and high school, it didn’t kick in until I was about 22,” a signal to their breasts.
In a separate video, they added: “But I’ve always had lady parts in my pants.”
Reflecting on their journey to becoming less secretive about their biological status, the influencer stated, “Now I’m a grown adult talking to strangers on the internet about how I was born with balls in my stomach.”
However, the self-described “unicorn” hasn’t always had the confidence to share such private information publicly.
Onlookers flooded the comments section with admiration for the influencer who openly shared their journey, calling them “gorgeous” and “beautiful.”
Viewers flooded the comments with messages of support and questions, with one questioning why her mother would think it was a “good idea” to keep Lyss’ biological status a secret.
One person wrote: ‘Finally. Someone who wants to share their story to create a platform for intersex people.’
Another said: ‘Thanks for talking about you and your experiences! There is not enough intersex representation anywhere.”
Many were shocked to learn the meaning of intersex so late in life, with one individual commenting: ‘I didn’t learn I was intersex until I was in my 20s!!!! I hear this so often
While one viewer said: ‘I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t learn what intersex was until late in adulthood, and I’m shocked at how many people don’t understand it. Thanks for sharing.’
Others were left with a host of questions for the yoga instructor, asking, “So did they ‘choose’ a gender for you or did you just naturally grow and look like a girl?”
Another wondered: ‘How could anyone think it was a good idea to keep that hidden from you????’