A conjoined twin has shared how she honors her sister’s comfort levels during private moments with her husband after getting married in October 2024.
Nearly two years have passed since Carmen Andrade, one half of a conjoined twin pair, married Daniel McCormack. The couple first connected on the dating app Hinge in 2020.
For their autumn wedding, Carmen wore an emerald green dress, and she now lives with Daniel in Connecticut.
Because Carmen and her sister Lupita are conjoined, the marriage comes with circumstances most couples never have to consider—making communication, consent, and day-to-day boundaries especially important.
Lupita identifies as Asexual, meaning she experiences little to no sexual attraction to other people.
Born in Mexico, the sisters have surpassed early medical expectations, continuing to defy the odds as they’ve gotten older.
They share some ribs along with their entire circulatory system, plus their digestive and reproductive systems. However, they each have their own heart, lungs, and stomach.
When they were younger, doctors discussed the possibility of separation surgery, but the procedure was considered extremely risky and could have led to severe neurological damage—or even death.
Having lived their entire lives conjoined, Carmen and Lupita have long been candid about the public’s curiosity, particularly when it comes to the realities of Carmen’s relationship with Daniel.
Now, the sisters have explained how they handle intimate time and ensure that Lupita’s boundaries are respected.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Carmen said the pair are always checking in with each other and staying aware of how the other is feeling.
“I don’t know how else to put it,” she added.
Carmen said that if Lupita isn’t comfortable with certain moments—whether it’s cuddling or private couple conversation—then they make sure to honor that and adjust accordingly.
Lupita also shared that she has her own ways of tuning things out when she wants space, saying: “I have headphones and a phone. I don’t care.”
Carmen noted that she isn’t particularly big on constant physical affection in the first place.
“I think there’s a certain societal expectation that there needs to be affection the entire time within a relationship. But all we do is joke around a lot of the time.”
Although the 25-year-old admitted she and Daniel sometimes feel “kind of guilty” about how much time they spend focused on their relationship, they aim to keep things balanced.
Daniel added that the questions they receive can often go too far, especially when strangers focus on the couple’s sex life.
“People are obsessed with sex, you know? And it is just like, frankly, it’s none of your f***ing business.”
Carmen also addressed why the constant speculation is frustrating, saying: “I don’t understand why people need to know about my private parts in order to humanize us.”