A person who is a hermaphrodite has both female and male genital features and can also be called intersex people. This typically means that the organs on the inside are of one sex, while the organs on the outside are of another sex. For example, a hermaphrodite might have a penis and testicles, but inside, there are ovaries and possibly a uterus. In more rare cases, the chromosomes say a person is male or female, but the genitals say otherwise.
Only occasionally do hermaphrodites actually exhibit the genitalia of both a male and a female. For instance, a person might have a penis as well as a vagina. In many of these cases, the doctors are not sure which genitalia the person has at birth: For example, a female might appear to have a very large clitoris, or a male might appear to have a very small penis.
CAUSES OF HERMAPHRODITISM
There are different forms of hermaphroditism, or intersex that have several causes. Some cases are due to chromosome defects, whereas others are related to abnormal amounts of the sex hormones due to an underlying disease e.g., ovarian tumor that leads to male hormone production during pregnancy.
It is a fact that every person living in the world is considered a human no matter male or female, on the basis of which every person qualifies to enjoy all the human rights such as right to live, education, respect etc. In Nigerian society, people have the mentality that a human can either be male or female and there cannot be a human of any other sex. But the reality is quite different; there is also another sex in the world which is known as hermaphrodite or the third sex. Hermaphrodites are facing countless difficulties in order to survive and be considered as humans. It is a harsh reality for being a third sex human.
The main cause of their problems is that in Nigeria, people do not even believe that there can be a person who has third sex, on the account of which hermaphrodites are not even considered as human. When hermaphrodites are not even considered as human, they are not provided with most rights. Although, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2007), Article 2 “Every single human being is entitled to enjoy his or her human rights without distinction as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status” (p.2).
It has been seen a number of times at public places where people physically, verbally, and emotionally harm and torture hermaphrodites. In addition to this, due to their sexual orientation they are not socially accepted, and their family mostly hide their son’s or daughter’s identity from friends and families. Due to this, these people face severe isolation and marginalization from society. Moreover, many a times they are socially excluded by their own family members, who consider them as a cause for disgrace for the whole family. Due to this, these people face severe isolation from society.
In addition, they are also denied from getting education due to social criticism. Hermaphrodites encounter number of troubles in terms of earning as they are illiterate and are publicly not accepted; therefore, they do not get any proper means of employment. However, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2007) in Article 23 says that every individual has a right to work, regardless of their sexual orientation. (p.8). Hermaphrodites also come across with strong humiliation very frequently; people make fun of them, disgrace them and violate their right of respect. Furthermore, there are no known hospitals and clinics present in Nigeria which offer medical and health care facilities to hermaphrodites without any discrimination which makes them lack with the basic health care facilities and treatments.
Due to the effect of repeatedly receiving and facing the above mentioned, cruel behavior from society starting from childhood, most of the hermaphrodites decide to get into the immoral ways of living and earning. For instance, as they do not get any respectful way of earning due to their sexual orientation and illiteracy, they choose prostitution as their profession; they sell sex to generate income. Bylooking at it from a bigger picture, prostitution itself has so many harmful and dangerouseffectsin society like transmission of HIV, STIs and STDs in population.
Likewise, not providing them with equal opportunities to get educated will also increase the illiteracy rate of the country. Moreover, as hermaphrodites are considered strange due to their sexual orientation, appearance, dressing as well as their behavior, they often become victim of verbal, sexual and physical abuse by people. These constant unkind and denialbehaviors from people as well as no ways of getting respect, no means of respectfulearning and living, and continualfights with their own family and people sometimes becomes the reason behind their bad and revengeful conduct towards society. In this way, not only hermaphrodites suffer but also the people around them suffer.
It is a kind of a cruel cycle of hurting and destroying the essence of humanity. The pain of this type of living is that much severe that they actually celebrate the death even of their fellows because they believe death is a gift from the almighty God, and meeting with death will end their struggles and hardships on this earth. Abdullah (2012). (p.6). Hermaphrodites should be treated as a structural difference, like differences in skin or hair colour, rather than as an abnormality.
Whether a hermaphrodite could get pregnant and carry the pregnancy and have a baby depends mostly whether they have a more complete set of reproductive organs. So, if there is a fully functioning uterus and ovaries, then it’s supposedly possible to get pregnant and have a baby. However, most if not all true hermaphrodites have incomplete reproductive organs and a pregnancy would be extremely rare.
In the past, people with this condition would often end up in surgery real fast, sometimes even shortly after birth. These surgeries are about to be outlawed all over the world and have already been illegal in a few countries. However, because of these kinds of surgery, we still don’t have an intersex person who does seem to be fertile.
Although gender is not black and white, there are, for example, women who are born with a vaginal opening and a clitoris shaped like a penis which can become stiff, yet they are basically as fertile as normal women. However, the only difference is just a small external characteristic. The same with men, as they can develop breasts and a smaller-than-average penis (Or even a micropenis). Yet, they can still be fertile as a man. But in-between you have a range of intersex people who are infertile as the body has a hormonal imbalance and ovaries or testicles are not fully developed. In addition, the womb or prostate might have developed the wrong way too.
CAUSES OF THE CONDITION
Some people are born hermaphroditesbecause they have unusual combinations of the X and Y chromosomes that typically determine a male or female. Moreover, some people’s bodies do not respond to the messages of the sex hormones in a typical way, so they do not develop sexual characteristics in the usual way as a result.
Although rare, intersex characteristics can sometimes indicate underlying medical concerns, so if you or your child has any of these characteristics, it is important to see a doctor before problems develop.
Hold off on surgery (if possible). Unless it is medically necessary, most experts say early surgery to make an intersex child’s genitalia look more male or female should be avoided. The reason is that it will be too early to do something that might be irreversible and not agree with the child sex later on in life. You do not want to force the child into an identity that might not be a good fit as the child gets older.
As a sexual minority, people with intersex features may be at high risk of alcohol, drug, and addiction problems. They become addicted to these drugs in order to hide from their problem. As a result, they become socially withdrawn which will eventually lead to mental issues such as bipolar, anxiety disorder, and depression etc.
As to resolve these problems and the stigma, it is important to accept these people for whom they are and stop embarrassing them when you come across such individual. In addition, it is recommended to start a campaign to change the ridiculous attitude and behavior of people towards hermaphrodites with the help of social media and on-going awareness within the communities in Nigeria. Furthermore, all the stake holders including religious and community leaders can perform their part by correcting the misunderstandings and misinterpretations people hold related to hermaphrodites. Again, there is a lack of training for mental health professionals in Nigeria regarding the healthcare need of hermaphrodites.
HOW CAN GOVERNMENT HELP?
Nigeria is in serious need of mental health professionals who are well trained to deal with different kinds of mental health issues. However, Nigeria seem to believe in the old system of severely medicating, locking, and shackling those people who suffer with mental health in an unhealthy, underequipped mental health institutions. It is about time the government invest in these institutions by providing well trained professionals along with adequate standardize equipment to assist the professionals in order to better support those suffering with different types of mental illness.
In other countries around the world, their government invest so much funding into mental health institutions and hospitals because they care about their citizens. However, it is not so in Nigeria because mental health issue and hermaphrodite are viewed as a witchcraft rather than a medical condition. Due to this, not much thoughts and compassionate felling is put into providing funding toward improving our hospitals and mental health facilities. Mental health issues and hermaphrodites issues are a real problem. Nigerians need to accept and deal with it in order to stop the stigma and shame that is put on people with this problem.
The government especially the politicians can start by creating awareness and educating the citizens so that hermaphrodites can be accepted in the community. Doing this, will help stop the abuse that many hermaphrodites face and they do not have to hide their identity due to shame but rather encouraged them to live a fulfilled and healthy life in the community and not be viewed as an outcast. Inclusion and acceptance is vital to their survival!
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