A woman born with a rare condition called complete uterus didelphys has shared the symptoms she experienced that made her realize ‘something was off’.
The condition is extremely rare
According to Cleveland Clinic, complete uterus didelphys is a rare congenital condition where a person is born with two uteruses.
The condition, which is also called ‘double uteruses’, only affects around 0.3% of Americans.
The woman wrote about it online
One woman with double uteruses opened the floor for questions on Reddit’s forum r/AskMeAnything about the condition.
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She wrote, “I (27F) have complete uterus didelphys, resulting in 2 uteruses, 2 cervixes, and almost 2 vaginas. (We joke that I have 1 & a half of them.)”
One person asked her about symptoms
“I had suspicions something was off for a long time, but didn’t get diagnosed until I was in my early-mid twenties. I have given birth to one child. Ask me anything!” she added.
One person under the post asked about the ‘suspicions’ she had that something was ‘off’.
She explained what she went through
“I always had a feeling something was different, but I couldn’t pinpoint what,” the woman responded.
“I would have very painful periods (which I thought was just luck of the draw) and even when using a tampon, I would continue to bleed and still have to use liners/pads. I thought everyone had to do this.”
The woman often felt discomfort too
“Also, when feeling around inside, sorry if this is TMI, but I can only describe it as feeling like there were 2 ‘tunnels,’” she added.
“Sex was also painful/uncomfortable at times, but again, for some reason I thought this was normal.”
Her description is one of the indicators
Although there are no exact ‘symptoms’ of complete uterus didelphys, what the user described about her experience with periods is one of the indicators of the condition.
According to Mayo Clinic, “Women who have a double vagina along with a double uterus may first see a health care provider for menstrual bleeding that isn’t stopped by a tampon.”
It can also be found out during a pelvic exam
“This can happen when a tampon is placed in one vagina, but blood still flows from the second uterus and vagina,” the clinic adds.
The condition can also be found out during a routine pelvic exam or if the woman is experiencing multiple miscarriages, which is sometimes the case with double uteruses.