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EXCLUSIVEI was born with an embarrassing condition that means I'm missing a key body part

A young father describes what his life is like living without a body part many of us take for granted, and shares how he wants to raise awareness about the condition

Source: Cubes | 

04.12.2024, 16:26

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Cubes

A young father has taken to the internet to raise awareness about a rare medical condition he was born with: he lacks an anus. 

Joe, who did not divulge any details about himself other than he is from the UK, said he hid his condition for most of his life and suffered extreme embarrassment as a teen as he often struggled with fecal incontinence. 

He isn't alone. About one in 5,000 newborns are born with the condition, called imperforate anus, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Doctors typically diagnose it within 24 to 48 hours after birth, after noticing an infant hasn't produced any stool, or if they notice the stool pass through the vagina, penis, scrotum or urethra. 

Doctors can either opt to reroute the digestive system into a bag attached to the abdomen, called a colostomy, or re-create an anus and sphincter in the operating room. 

In Joe's case, he lives with a colostomy and spends about an hour a day in the bathroom, flushing a bag connected to his gastrointestinal system that fills with stool into the toilet

And while he says life has been challenging, his condition has allowed him to become a more empathetic person who is able to share his story with others without shame. 

And there are also unique upsides, he said: 'I've once never been constipated. Apparently that really sucks.' 

Joe was born with a birth defect called imperforate anus, and now raises awareness about the condition on his social media in order to reduce stigma about it. He uses a colostomy bag, which attaches his digestive system to an external tube that can be emptied, to go to the bathroom

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