Dawn Covino Was Traumatized To Find That She Was Intersex When She Was 38!!
Dawn Covino, at the age of 38, was traumatized to find that she was intersex. She felt that something was wrong with her, so she went to for check-up. Then after the test, she found out that she was born intersex.
Dawn Covino, now 46, grew up in New York. Her parents were Carol and Thomas. During her childhood, she used to be a happy kid. But the trouble began when she was 12, that is, reaching on her adolescence. All her friends spoke about puberty, but she could never discuss anything. As she neither had her periods nor, she had anybody hairs.
At the age of 15, once her mother asked if she has hairs under her arms. In embarrassment, she replied ‘no’. So, her mother decided to see her a doctor. After an internal exam taken by the doctor, she got traumatized as none of the doctors explained anything. While her parents were having discussions with the doctor, she overheard that she was born without a uterus and also that she would never have periods or a baby.
Before her 16th birthday, she was informed that she would have her ‘gonads’ removed. ‘Gonads’ means ovaries. It had to be released as it was cancerous. After her operation, she started taking oestrogen pills.
Also, she never discussed the fact with anyone that she could never be a mother. When she had her first boyfriend, she went to have sex with him, but she was extremely cautious about the whole thing. Then after she went to university, she had a lot of casual sex, but she was still unhappy.
At 20, she met a boy named Robert on holiday. After five months of dating, she disclosed to him that he could not be a mum. But, Robert accepted the fact and agreed to marry her. The couple got hitched on August 13, 2004. In 2007, they adopted one-year-old twins, a boy and a girl. When the kids were five, they decided to take a DNA test on them. She decided to test on herself also.
Two weeks later, she got her reports from the DNA company. The results showed XY chromosomes, that is, male chromosomes. So, she sent off another set of sample. Again the same reports came. She got shocked and traumatized. She told everything to her husband. But it did not affect their relationship.
Then, she found InterConnect, an online support group, where she found many other friends who were intersex. She then came to know that 1.7% of the total population is intersex.
Now, she is very much aware of the fact being intersex. And she is also not ashamed of it.
