Two identical twin sisters in Brazil have had double sex surgery in a medical first.
Mayla Rezende and Sofia Albuquerck, who grew up in the small town of Tapira in southwestern Brazil, were born with male genitalia, but say they always knew they were girls.
“I would blow dandelion seeds in the air and wish God would turn me into a girl,” said Reisjes, a 19-year-old brunette studying medicine, in an interview with AFP. “I’ve always loved my body, but I didn’t like my genitals.”
Although gender reassignment surgeries are part of Brazil’s nationalized health care system, clinics are few and the waiting list can be long.
The girls planned to travel to Thailand for their procedures but were able to stay local. They contracted a private doctor, with the financial help of their grandfather, who auctioned off properties to fund the nearly $ 20,000 surgeries.
On February 11 and 12, the sisters had surgery to confirm their gender identity.
Dr. Jose Carlos Martins of the Transgender Center Brazil performed five-hour surgeries on the sisters, one day apart.
“This is the only reported case in the world of twins believed to be male at birth who underwent female sex reassignment surgery together,” the doctor said.
It took a long time for the girls, who were reportedly victims of bullying and sexual harassment in childhood.
Brazil is known as one of the most transphobic countries – although the US also has its fair share of tragic anti-trans attacks. Last year alone, 175 transgender people were murdered in Brazil, according to the National Association of Travestites and Transsexuals of Brazil (ANTRA), the majority of all countries.
Still, the young women praise their parents for accepting them. Rising called their mother a ‘lioness’, adding, ‘she protected us fiercely.’ The twins have two extra sisters.
Albuquerck, who is working on a civil engineering degree in São Paulo, said, “I am proud to be a trans woman.” She told the French news center: “I have lived too long in fear of society.”
When her sister saw herself after the operation, she burst into tears.
“When I woke up I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It’s something that is still settling. I no longer feel that discomfort when I lie down or sit. It’s a wonderful thing. ”