On the face of it, the small village of Salinas in the Barahona Province of the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic, is like many other Caribbean hideaways.
The natives are friendly, there’s sandy beaches and the sun beats down often – but there is one peculiarity that sets it apart from the rest of the world.
At puberty one in 90 children born there make a natural transformation from girl to boy.
The natives are friendly, there’s sandy beaches and the sun beats down often – but there is one peculiarity that sets it apart from the rest of the world.
At puberty one in 90 children born there make a natural transformation from girl to boy.
Referred to as the ‘guevedoces’ which literally translates as ‘penis at 12’ – these children are known in medical terms as ‘pseudohermaphrodite’ – and feature in a new BBC 2 series called Countdown to Life – the Extraordinary Making of You.
The guevedoces were uncovered by Cornell University endocrinologist Dr Julianne Imperato in the 1970s who travelled to the region to learn more about rumours that girls were morphing into boys.
And in the four decades since there have been studies, more has been learned about the perfectly natural condition.
And in the four decades since there have been studies, more has been learned about the perfectly natural condition.
Believed to have transpired through a rare genetic disorder, the condition is caused by a missing enzyme that prevents the production the male sex hormone – dihydro-testosterone – in the womb – and creates what looks like a baby girl on birth.
It is not until puberty, when testosterone flows, their voices break and they grow a male sexual reproductive organ that they become recognised as male.
BBC presenter Dr Michael Mosley said:
It is not until puberty, when testosterone flows, their voices break and they grow a male sexual reproductive organ that they become recognised as male.
BBC presenter Dr Michael Mosley said:
UK Mirror
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