Jucilene Marinho was devastated to know that she had no vagina when she was 15-years-old. While communicated to the doctors, Jucilene told them how she grew in a normal manner experiencing period pains, yet never went through one. She was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome which means that the young woman had no vaginal canal, a malformed uterus and no cervix. The 23-year-old experienced a life-changing surgery that constructed her vagina with a fish skin. Now, she can enjoy a healthy sex life—after three months of recovery.
The doctors were surprised to know that Jucilene who hails from Brazil had a common upbringing. After studying her situation, they found that the 23-year-old was suffering from rare congenital condition, MRKH. Medical experts claim that one in 5,000 newborn girls is born with this condition. With the success, Jucilene becomes the first woman to under neovaginoplasty, where surgeons create an opening artificially and insert a genital-shaped mould with the skin of the tilapia fish.
Watch the video of woman born without a vagina has one made out of fish skin.
“At first I was very scared to do it because I thought it would hurt and I was worried it might damage the opening. But it was a wonderful moment because everything worked perfectly. There was no pain just a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. I didn't feel any discomfort and there was no bleeding. Everything felt sensitive in what I'm told is the right and normal way. It was perfectly natural like the opening had always been there,” 23-year-old Jucilene Marinho was quoted saying in The Sun.
To those who are thinking how the operation is done or if it is hygienic, before it is used, the fish skin is cleaned and sterilised in the lab, irradiation kill viruses. Doctors then open a space between the vagina and anus, insert the tube-shaped mould which is lined with the fish skin. The device remains there for ten days to prevent the walls from closing. After the operation, the patients go through 12 days recovery period at an average. With the success, the reports are suggesting that the doctors are working towards offering this new treatment in many medical centres at Brazil and across the world.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2018 04:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).