It took 44 years for a Chinese man to realize that he is actually a woman.
Chen, who has been married for the past 10 years, came to know about his original biological identity only when he approached doctors complaining of stomach pain and blood in his urine, Shanghaiist reported.
A CT scan performed at the Yongkang hospital, Zheijang Province in China, revealed that Chen possessed ovaries and uterus and the discomforts he suffered were due to menstruation. Making the picture clearer, a chromosome test exposed the pair of XX sex chromosomes Chen possessed. A physical examination conducted by the doctors revealed that Chen did not possess male characteristics, such as an Adam's apple or facial hair and normal male genitalia.
"He had short hair and was dressed in man's clothes. We did not realize he was a female at first," Dr Zhao told Global Times.
Doctors said that Chen was suffering from congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a condition that leads to an increased production of male sex hormone androgen. The condition occurs mainly due to the absence of an enzyme adrenal glands required to produce basic hormones like cortisol and aldosterone. The condition, according to experts at the March of Dimes, can affect the development of a baby's sex organs, making a baby girl's genitals to look like that of a boy child.
Similar cases have been reported previously in China. In June last year, a 66-year-old man discovered his female identity during a visit to a doctor for swelling in abdomen. Tests revealed that the man was a woman and a cyst on his ovary caused his health problem. The case reported in the Hong Kong Medical Journal cited two genetic disorders – turner syndrome and congenital adrenal hyperplasia – hiding the man's original biological features, South China Morning Post reported.
In May 2012, a similar case was reported in Colorado in the US. Steve Crecelius or now Stevie Crecelius (59), a professional photographer, father of six children came to know about his original biological identity only when he was undergoing treatments for his kidney stone in a Denver hospital, nearly 25 years after getting married. An ultrasound test was conducted as a part of the treatment. Diagnosing and exposing the hidden traits in the man, the ultrasound declared Crecelius as intersex, possessing both male genitals and female sex organs.
Intersex is a condition where there is an inconsistency between the external genitals and the internal genitals like the testes and ovaries. It is also known as hermaphroditism. Though the news came as a shock, later he realized the reasons behind his female personality that used to come across throughout his life. The realization of his original identity led Crecelius to fully transform into a female look. His family, consisting of wife Debbie and six children accepted the changes and supported him on the new move, FOX 31 reported.