Pregnancy and motherhood are some of the most celebrated aspects of a woman’s life. Hollywood is openly communicative about the struggles during and post pregnancy, especially considering the changes it causes to a woman’s body. However, it’s not all that there is to pregnancy. Gemma Collins has opened up about the rough experiences she had as a to-be mother.
The actress revealed that her doctor asked her to terminate her pregnancy because her unborn child was “hermaphrodite”, now referred to as intersex. Not entirely aware of the term, the actress was taken aback by the doctor’s suggestion. Here’s what happened and everything you need to know about the condition.
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Gemma Collin’s Unborn Baby Was Intersex
During a Daily Mail podcast Everything I Know About Me, Gemma Collins opened up about a pregnancy termination that her doctors suggested, citing that “something was not right” with her unborn baby. The health professionals later clarified to her that her fetus was “hermaphrodite“.
This was about two decades ago, when term “hermaphrodite” was considered accurate. However, it is considered outdated and medically inaccurate today, and “intersex” or differences in sex development (DSD) is now used instead.
“They said to me, ‘your baby could be, from looking at it, (intersex),’” Gemma said during the podcast. Not quite sure what the term means, Gemma, who was 21 at the time, was a bit lost as to what she should do about it. Moreover, she was also struggling with the pain of potentially having to lose her baby.
“I didn’t know what the word was. I had to look it up. I’d never been taught about [being intersex],” she said. With doctor’s advice, Gemma terminated her pregnancy at the time. “It was very sad about the baby but it was just not meant to be,” she added.
Pregnancies with intersex children are not advised to be terminated today, as the understanding of the term and different non-binary genders and sexualities has evolved since.
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What Does The Term ‘Intersex’ Mean?
The term ‘intersex’ an umbrella term for people born with anatomy or chromosomes that do not fit within the conventional binary conceptions of male or female. Intersex individuals have rare sexual developments with uniquely characterized chromosomes, genitalia, reproductive anatomy, and hormones.
The NHS states that intersex people have Variations in Sex Characteristics or Diverse Sex Development. However, intersex children don’t require any special medical treatment or facilities. Their parents need to be aware about their child’s condition and the challenges they might face during their growth.
According to the reports, one out of 2000 children are born intersex, and out of them, 200 children are visibly born with genitals that don’t fit into male or female categories.
Considering the condition of such babies, United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council has adopted a mission combat to fight the discrimination against intersex individuals.
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