#vaginal variations

[dhddmods]

Oh wow, I felt uncomfortable using intersex for myself as I """""only""""" had higher T levels from PCOS. But looking at your diagrams, I definitely have vulvar hypospadias or PUGS. Do you know if either of those two variations could be associated with how pelvic exams and transvaginal ultrasounds have been impossible for me due to pain? Or is that most likely a different cause?

(Previous post this user is referencing)

Vulvar hypospadias or PUGS most definitely can cause vaginal pain during examination! Vaginal examinations are already painful to many people as-is, but for people with vulvar hypospadias, PUGS, (complete) persistent cloaca, or vaginal atresia, they can be agonizing or even impossible.

For hypospadias, PUGS, or (complete) persistent cloaca, this is due to the fact the urethral tissue is being penetrated/rubbed against, which is going to be naturally irritating.

(Also, hyperandrogenism is most definitely intersex, so you could have identified as it from the start! We understand imposter syndrome, though.)

If you have urogenital variations, you may have congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) rather than PCOS, PCOS is often misdiagnosed for CAH because the two are on such a similar spectrum, and doctors don't give a fuck about proper diagnosis of intersex variations.

We highly recommend you check out our intersex guide and see if anything else resonates with you.

[dhddmods]

Oh, wow. Mine looks really similar to the second one in the second image in your reply. But it also… doesn't? Your diagram and every other diagram I've seen have this sort of… you can just kind of pull everything back and get this overall pointed oval sort of shape. But mine doesn't. If I try to kind of spread it out, I can't actually see either hole well unless I mess with the angle, and even then I have to do even more struggling with angle to see two holes rather than one. Instead of the pointy-ish spot on the opposite-of-clit side, it's round, circular, like there's some sort of sheet of flesh under the majora but a little above or just by the minora, obscuring the majority of any entrances, everything but the top of what I think is my urethra? This is kind of a ramble and it feels embarrassing and inappropriate to be talking about, but I'm kind of just now realising not only how little I know about my own anatomy but also how my anatomy doesn't really match up to diagrams as much as I guess I expected it to. But I've also been on testosterone for over a year and a half now, so that could be it. Anyway, thank you for the reply. I don't really know what to think about what this means for me, if anything, but it's good to know.

So what we're reading from this, you struggle to see your vaginal entry due to flesh coverage?

This could be due to having vaginal atresia, specifically what we're thinking is hymenal variations or vaginal septums (which you can refer back to our intersex guide again to read more on that.)

We may be misunderstanding what you are saying here, but we'll give you our hymenal variation sketches just in case. Vaginal septums are slightly different, especially when they are internal, but they're along the same lines as this.

(Once again, not the finished product, it still needs lineart and coloring, this is just a messy sketched reference point with slightly unrealistic proportions.)

Its under the cut, obvious content warning for genitals.

Microperforate hymen:

Septate hymen & cribriform hymen:

Sleeve hymen: