Pedro Juan Perez grew up confused about his identity, said Becky Dickinson in the London Guardian. “I was skinny and hopeless at sport,” he says. “I preferred knitting.” At the age of 13, he collapsed while riding his bike, and doctors ordered a series of tests. “They diagnosed Klinefelter’s syndrome, which means I have three sex chromosomes, XXY, instead of the XY for a male or XX for a female. Physically I’m male, but genetically I’m male and female.”
The condition, which affects one in 1,000 boys, meant he’d never be able to have children. “I was devastated and burst into tears.” Perez was put on testosterone injections to induce puberty. But his parents refused to talk about the condition. “The only person I told was a priest, who offered to pray for me, but it wasn’t prayers I needed.”
In his mid-20s, the testosterone injections finally started to make him more masculine. “Hairs sprouted on my chest. At 25, I had my first shave, my hands shaking with excitement.” Inside, though, he still felt feminine. “I’m not gay. I just enjoy the things women enjoy. I love shopping and trying on clothes.” With the help of his girlfriend, he’s learned to accept himself. “I see [my extra X chromosome] as a bonus. I guess I’m just very in touch with my feminine side.”
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