In the rare condition known as vaginal agenesis, the uterus (womb) may partially or never develop, while the vagina does not develop at all. This is a prenatal disorder that may also be linked to bone or kidney issues. See your doctor if, by the time you are 15 years old, you have not experienced a menstrual cycle. KD Blossom is a gynecology hospital in Ahmedabad whose repertoire involves a highly experienced team of practitioners.
Mullerian agenesis, mullerian aplasia, and Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome are other names for the illness.
When a female does not start menstruation at puberty, it is common to diagnose vaginal agenesis. Creating a vagina is frequently accomplished by using a vaginal dilator, which is a tube-like instrument that, when used over time, can stretch the vagina. Occasionally, surgery can be required. Vaginal sex is possible when receiving treatment.
What Are The Symptoms?
When a woman has vaginal agenesis and doesn’t menstruate (amenorrhea), it frequently goes undiagnosed until she reaches her teens. Typical female growth is frequently followed by other puberty indicators.
Features of vaginal agenesis could include:
- The genitalia resemble those of a normal female.
- The vagina may be shorter and lack a cervix at the end, or it may be nonexistent and only slightly indented where a vaginal entrance normally would be.
- There might not be a uterus or it might be partially developed. The endometrium, the tissue lining the uterus, may cause persistent abdominal pain or monthly cramps.
- The ovaries are usually fully formed and functional, albeit their position inside the abdomen may be peculiar. The fallopian tubes, which carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus, can occasionally grow abnormally or not at all.
What Are The Causes?
The exact origin of vaginal agenesis is unknown, yet during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the mullerian ducts — a tube that connects the uterus — do not grow normally.
Usually, the uterus and vagina develop from the lower part of these ducts, while the fallopian tubes emerge from the top portion. An absence or partially closed vagina, an absent or partially developed uterus, or both can be caused by the underdevelopment of the mullerian ducts.
Other problems that may be linked to vaginal agenesis include:
- issues about kidney and urinary tract development
- Changes in the development of the wrist, rib, and spine bones
- Issues with hearing
- Additional congenital disorders affecting the gastrointestinal system, heart, and growth of the limbs
What Are The Causes?
The exact origin of vaginal agenesis is unknown, yet during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the mullerian ducts — a tube that connects the uterus — do not grow normally.
Usually, the uterus and vagina develop from the lower part of these ducts, while the fallopian tubes emerge from the top portion. An absence or partially closed vagina, an absent or partially developed uterus, or both can be caused by the underdevelopment of the mullerian ducts.
Conclusion
Your sexual interactions may be affected by vaginal agenesis, but following therapy, your vagina will usually function normally for sexual activity.
A partially developed or absent uterus prevents a woman from becoming pregnant. On the other hand, in vitro fertilization can be an option if your ovaries are healthy. To carry the pregnancy, the embryo might be put in the uterus of another individual (gestational carrier). Talk to your healthcare practitioner about your reproductive choices.
