The Missing Vagina Monologue … and Beyond

ABSTRACT

The author, a middle-aged woman, was originally diagnosed with “Congenital Absence of Vagina”–at age thirteen. Since that time, she underwent four exploratory and corrective surgeries, without ever receiving a correct diagnosis that explained her condition, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome (MRKH). The author describes personal experiences with the medical profession and her emotional response to the diagnosis and treatment. The author made contact with an MRKH Internet support group and conducted a survey of its members. This paper discusses the qualitative results of this survey, confirming the need for awareness of atypical reproductive issues. This paper concludes with recommendations on the medical and psychological treatment of MRKH.

KEYWORDS:

• Congenital absence of vagina
• corrective surgery
• genital surgery
• intersex
• Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome (MRKH)
• McIndoe
• Mullerian agenesis
• vagina
• vaginal agenesis
• vaginal dilation
• vaginal treatment