Former TOWIE star Gemma Collins has candidly opened up about her heartbreaking experience of losing an unborn ‘intersex’ baby after doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy
Gemma Collins broke down in tears recalling the moment she was told her baby was ‘intersex’ and advised to terminate her pregnancy due to complications.
The reality TV star, who rose to fame on The Only Way is Essex, discussed her heartbreaking experience on the Everything I Know About Me podcast. Gemma, 43, said she was advised by doctors to have a termination following concerns about her unborn baby, who they believed had intersex traits.
The Celebrity Big Brother star tearfully revealed she was told “something’s not right” and her baby could be ‘intersex’. She said: “You can imagine I didn’t know what the word was. I had to look it up. I’d never been taught about [being intersex]. So that was a real shock.”
What is an intersex baby and what are the health risks?
Intersex is a term used when someone is born with both male and female anatomy. An intersex baby may have internal sex organs, chromosomes, external genitalia, or other characteristics that differ from typical male and female biological features.
According to the NHS, intersex is a preferred term by some to refer to differences in sex development (DSD), which is a “group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs, including genitals”. It states: “It means a person’s sex development is different to most other people’s.”
The NHS adds that there are “many different types”. It explains: “Many forms of DSD do not require any medical care other than understanding the baby’s development and knowing what to expect as they grow older.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, most intersex people are healthy. But in rare cases, being intersex has been associated with some health conditions, including bone problems, increased risk of cancer, swyer syndrome – undeveloped sex glands – and Hypospadias – where the urethral opening is on the wrong side of the penis or no urethral opening.
How do you know if your baby has intersex traits?
DSD can be detected during an ultrasound scan before a baby is born, or after the child is born. It is also possible to find out a child has DSD months or years later, such as during puberty. Some people don’t realise they have DSD.
Roughly 150 children are diagnosed with intersex traits every year in the UK, according to the nationwide charity DSD Families. This means there are approximately 2,300 children living with DSD conditions across the country.
What is it like growing up with DSD?
Mum Juliet Swire had never heard of DSD when she gave birth to her son Jack in February 2014. He was born with both ovarian and testicular tissue and genitals that could belong to a biological male or female. At the time, she said her midwives and GPs had “never heard of it”.
“It was very hard. I’d just assumed that XX is girl and XY is boy,” Juliet told The Guardian. “Because people don’t know there are variations, when they occur, it’s a freakish thing. But actually, he is just a normal child.” Following blood tests and scans, it was decided that Jack would be assigned male.
He has since had numerous surgeries, including removing his uterus and fallopian tubes because doctors said they posed a high risk of cancer. Juliet has felt pressure making choices on Jack’s behalf, and said: “If he did identify as female as he gets older, I’d want him to know I was confident that I was doing the right thing for him every step of the way.”
Yoga teacher Alyssa Ball, 28, was told that she was intersex by her parents at 11 years old and grew up feeling ‘scared’ about being different. But despite being bullied as a young child, she wouldn’t change herself and loves the way she is. Alyssa, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, was born with testicles inside her body, meaning she has no ovaries.
She would pretend to have periods in school and was ‘heartbroken’ when she discovered that she couldn’t have children. Alyssa has since found comfort and confidence in connecting with other intersex people around the world and no longer feels alone. She told Mail Online: “I don’t wish that my mum terminated her pregnancy, even with all the bullying that I’ve gone through, I wouldn’t trade it to not be here.”
Alyssa believes it is unfair to not give an intersex baby a “fighting chance in the world” because, with the right resources, community, support and healthcare, they will be a “happy, healthy adult”. She added: “Don’t try to change them. Let them be who they are and make their own choices.”
To find out more about DSD or access support, you can reach out to DSD Families.