changing bloodtypes (or whatever...)

[Guest guest]

>

> At 12:24 PM 7/15/05, you wrote:

> >I understand that genes can be turned " on " or " off " depending on

> >what's going on with the person. My lab technician sister even

told

> >me that people's blood types have been known to " change " during

their

> >lifetime.

Folks, and not only blood types:

Woman grows penis

13/07/2005 09:03 - (SA)

Print article email story

Myanmar chicken seller, Thin Sandar. (AFP)

Related Articles

Health24: From woman to man

Myanmar - Thin Sandar, a chicken seller in Myanmar, had always

dreamed of being a man. When she inexplicably grew a penis last

month, the 21-year-old treated it as an awe-inspiring omen - as have

the thousands of stunned villagers who have travelled to a pagoda to

see him.

" On the morning of the full moon day of June 21, I noticed my thing

(sex organ) was not the same as before, " Thin Sandar, who now goes by

the male name Than Sein, told AFP in an interview at his home.

" And my breasts disappeared, " Than Sein added. " So I called out and

showed it all to my mom and dad. It was very strange. "

Strange enough that he has attracted significant attention in this

deeply superstitious country, where the unexplained can quickly be

exalted to hold powerful spiritual significance.

People privately concede Than Sein is a hermaphrodite. Several

medical experts have examined him, and he awaits test results from

the central women's hospital.

Examined by experts

But few have come forward with a medical explanation of the

transformation as they await an official report by the health

ministry, whose experts have also examined Than Sein.

" We can not say right now if she has really undergone a sudden gender

change, " said a township official who declined to be named, adding

that Than Sein's birth certificate shows that he was born a girl.

" It can be confirmed when we receive the report from the health

ministry, although some medical check-ups have shown her to be a true

man, " he added.

Hermaphrodites, also known as intersexuals, are often born with

ambiguous genitalia, or have both testicular and ovarian tissue in a

single person.

Medical doctor Aye Sanda Khaing put it in layman's terms in a local

journal: " Her penis appeared at the site of her clitoris, " the doctor

was quoted as saying.

Regardless of the official findings, local villagers and other

curious Myanmar nationals are flocking to the Aung Myay Thar Yar

pagoda, in this new satellite township 19 kilometres from Yangon, to

see Than Sein for themselves and make donations to him or the temple.

'I was so happy'

Up to 400 gather at the pagoda each day, often in a courtyard under

colourful umbrellas to ward off the sun's rays, waiting for the

chance to talk with and touch Than Sein.

" I have never heard of anything like this, so I came to see him, " 21-

year-old housewife Thandar Win said.

" If I was not married, then I too would want to become a man! "

When word spread of Than Sein's transformation, locals raced to his

home to see for themselves. Authorities, sensing a possible security

hazard - and, perhaps, an opportunity - hastily arranged for him to

be moved to the pagoda to accommodate more visitors.

Than Sein appeared comfortable with the sudden attention in the new

surroundings. Wearing a chequered longyi, the traditional Myanmar

pants commonly worn by men, he sat on a rug in the pagoda's side

building, flanked by his parents.

" I was so happy, " father Kyaw Htay, 46, said about his son's

developments. " I wanted other sons so they could offer themselves as

Buddhist monks, but I had only two daughters. "

Occasionally Than Sein stepped out to talk with excited visitors, who

shook his hand, stroked his arm, and wished him well.

As he waits for the final test results, Than Sein said he firmly

believed he had been transformed, and would enter the monkhood for a

period of time and seek spiritual contemplation and guidance before

deciding whether to marry and raise a family.

here's the link to this story:

http://www.news24.com/News24/AnanziArticle/0,,2-1343-

1347_1736677,00.html

it's from the ananzi news. his/her photo is in the article; he/she

looks rather androgynous.

[Guest guest]

> > At 12:24 PM 7/15/05, you wrote:

> > >I understand that genes can be turned " on " or " off " depending on

> > >what's going on with the person. My lab technician sister even

> told

> > >me that people's blood types have been known to " change " during

> their

> > >lifetime.

At least some changes in blood type are really just inaccurate tests.

(In women the discrepancy tends to show up after pregnancy.)

See this link:

http://www.gynob.com/rh.htm

relevent paragraph from above link:

" No, it isn't possible to change blood types. But Rh Positive women

are identified by their Rh Positive red blood cells. There is a very

weak variant called the " Du " variant. It is actually an Rh Positive

antigen, which would make a woman " Rh Positive, " but since it is very

weakly expressed in tests, it's possible to be mistakenly read as Rh

Negative. Today, any Rh Negative woman should be tested further for

the Du variant. If it's positive, then the blood type is corrected to

Rh Positive, and no Rh Immune-globulin need be given "

Jan