Woman finds out she is a man during treatment at Kolkata hospital
Kolkata: For thirty years she led a normal life with no complications, until recently, when doctors, while treating her for abdominal pain, discovered that she was a 'man' suffering from testicular cancer.
Surprisingly, her 28-year-old sister, who underwent necessary tests following the revelation, was also diagnosed with 'Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome' -- a condition in which a person is born genetically male, but has all physical traits of a woman.
The 30-year-old Birbhum resident, married for the last nine years, had visited city-based Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Hospital with severe pain in lower abdomen a couple of months ago, following which clinical oncologist Dr Anupam Dutta and surgical oncologist Dr Soumen Das conducted her medical tests, and found out her "true identity".
"From her appearance, she is a woman. Starting from her voice, developed breasts, normal external genitalia, everything is that of a woman. However, uterus and ovaries have been absent since birth. She has also never experienced menstruation," Dr Dutta told PTI.
It's a very rare condition, and can be found one in every 22,000 people, he said.
After test reports suggested that the person has a "blind vagina", doctors decided to conduct Karyotyping test, which revealed that her chromosome complement was 'XY' and not 'XX', as found in a woman.
"We conducted clinical examinations, after she complained of abdominal pain, and found out she has testicles inside her body. A biopsy was conducted, following which she was diagnosed with testicular cancer, also called seminoma, Dr Dutta explained.
Currently, she is undergoing chemotheraphy and her health condition is stable.
"As her testicles remained undeveloped inside the body, there was no secretion of testosterone. Her female hormones, on the other hand, gave her the appearance of a woman," Dr Dutta stated.
Asked about her reaction to the revelation, he said, "The person has grown up to be a woman. She is married to man for almost a decade. Currently, we are counselling the patient and her husband, advising them to continue living life as they have been."
It was learnt, that the couple had tried for babies a number of times but failed. The patient's two maternal aunts were also diagnosed with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome in the past, the oncologist said.
"It's probably in the genes. We have come to know that two of her aunts from the maternal side were also suffering from similar condition," he added.
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Over 3.22 lakh BPL ration card applications still pending in Karnataka
Shivamogga: Over 3,22,468 applications for Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards are still pending across Karnataka, with the largest backlogs reported from north Karnataka districts as well as Bengaluru.
The backlog has been recorded in Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Raichur and Koppal districts. Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa shared district-wise data in the Legislative Council while replying to an unstarred question raised by MLC Balkhees Banu, as reported by The New India Express on Wednesday.
According to the report, the numbers show that Belagavi has the highest pendency with 39,019 applications, followed by Kalaburagi (36,037), Vijayapura (24,293), Raichur (18,111), Bengaluru (18,035), Bidar (17,671), Bagalkot (13,658), Dharwad (12,337), Koppal (11,446) and Ballari (10,709) applications.
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“No BPL card has been converted into a Non-Priority Household (NPHH) card,” TNIE quoted Muniyappa told the House.
Raising the issue, Banu allegedly said poor families, daily-wage workers, auto-rickshaw drivers and street vendors were facing serious hardship due to the alleged conversion of BPL cards into NPHH cards. She also highlighted the difficulties faced by patients battling cancer, heart disease and kidney ailments, who depend on subsidised food and medical support.
Responding to this, Muniyappa reportedly said if any BPL card had been temporarily shifted to NPHH, eligible beneficiaries can reaply with documents to the local tahsildar within 45 days, and after verification, their original BPL status would be restored.
As per the report, he said that people facing medical emergencies can also apply a BPL card online to get faster access to welfare benefits.
