A woman with a rare condition that results in the absence of a vaginal canal has shared some of the major challenges she’s encountered with her health.
She posted on Reddit to describe her experience with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a congenital disorder affecting approximately one in 5,000 women.
This rare condition leads to being born without a fully developed uterus, cervix, and with a shortened vagina.
Individuals with MRKH generally have functioning ovaries but do not experience regular menstruation.
The syndrome is congenital, often not diagnosed until the individual reaches their teenage years.
A 20-year-old woman shared anonymously on Reddit’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ forum, stating: “I have MRKH syndrome, a condition that causes girls to be born with an incomplete reproductive system. My external genitalia is normal. I have a labia and clitoris. But I am missing a vaginal canal and uterus. I do have ovaries though.”
The post attracted many comments, including one from a user who asked if people have told her they are ‘jealous’ of her inability to become pregnant.
In response, she noted: “Yeah that happens a lot. It used to upset me because I really wanted to be able to get pregnant naturally but now I don’t really want kids and I’m definitely grateful that I don’t have periods, so I can understand why other women would be jealous and that doesn’t bother me.
“Although, I’d advise them not to say things like that to women with MRKH because it can sound insensitive.”
Another commenter inquired if the condition posed ‘significant issues’ in her daily life, to which she replied: “It makes dating and sex more complicated but other than that it’s not really an issue.”
Further in the Reddit discussion, she elaborated on her MRKH diagnosis, explaining that it wasn’t identified until she was a teen, despite having the condition since birth.
“I actually wasn’t diagnosed until I was 15, so my parents didn’t even know about it before that,” she said.
“I just thought I was a late bloomer but my doctor was concerned that I hadn’t gotten my period, so I ended up getting an ultrasound and an examination and that was when they found out I didn’t have a uterus or vagina.”