X
theAsianparent Philippines Logo
theAsianparent Philippines Logo
EnglishFilipino
Product GuideSign in
  • Building a BakuNation
  • Becoming a Parent
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Pregnancy
    • Delivery
    • Losing a Baby
    • Project Sidekicks
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler Years
    • Preschool Age
    • Kids
    • Preteen & Teen
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • News
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Health & Wellness
    • Diseases & Injuries
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Preschool
    • K-12
    • Special Education Needs
  • Lifestyle Section
    • Celebrities
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Home
    • Travel and Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
    • Money
  • Become a VIP
  • COVID-19
  • Press Room
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023

Your daughter could turn into a boy at 12 if she has this!

3 min read

A girl can biologically turn into a boy just like that?

According to research by doctors and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a large population of children in the town of Salinas in the Dominican Republic are born with female-looking private parts but get a penis and testes once puberty sets in.

They call these children Guevedoces, which directly translates to “penis at twelve.”

Born a girl, turn into a boy at 12

The change happens like this:

A girl is born into a family. Since there are no apparent penis or testes on the baby, parents consider what she has as female genitalia.

They raise her as a girl, buy her girl’s clothes and give her girl’s toys.

As she gets older, though, they notice that she doesn’t like dolls and likes fighting with other kids.

When the physical changes for puberty comes along, she starts growing hair on her face and gets a wider, manlier chest.

When she reaches twelve years old, she develops a penis and a pair of testes descends where she used to have female private parts.

Click 2 to find out how this happens.

Hormones not firing at the right time

According to doctors, here’s why we have Guevedoces:

Upon conception, baby boys get the X and Y chromosomes which tell their bodies to produce specific hormones. These hormones tell their cells to grow a penis and testes in the womb.

With the case of the Guevedoces, the hormones that tell the body to create a penis and testes aren’t released until they hit puberty. So until the hormones are released at twelve, they have what looks like female private parts.

What is even more remarkable is that it’s quite common in their area of the Dominican Republic. Some reports say that every family has at least one Guevedoce.

What do the families say?

Since the condition is so common in their area, most families just accept how things turn out. Due to extreme poverty, a lot of these Guevedoces don’t get to see a doctor to identify their condition at birth.

One mother knew what was going to happen to her daughter, Carla, at age five. She said in an interview with BBC, “When she turned five I noticed that whenever she saw one of her male friends she wanted to fight with him. Her muscles and chest began growing. You could see she was going to be a boy. I love her however she is. Girl or boy, it makes no difference.”

Read: Does your child have autism?

What would you do, mommies and daddies, if your little girl turned into a boy at age twelve? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines

Partner Stories
Gut Health: How to keep your child’s digestive tract healthy with Erceflora Kiddie
Gut Health: How to keep your child’s digestive tract healthy with Erceflora Kiddie
A mom’s responsibility: Getting vaccinated for her children
A mom’s responsibility: Getting vaccinated for her children
Clearing The Air About Colds
Clearing The Air About Colds
Fever Care Tips We Learned From Our Moms
Fever Care Tips We Learned From Our Moms

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Danielle Ann Abesames-Santos

Become a Contributor

  • Home
  • /
  • Health
  • /
  • Your daughter could turn into a boy at 12 if she has this!
Share:
  • 3 reasons why you should get a Pap Smear

    3 reasons why you should get a Pap Smear

  • Gut Health: How to keep your child’s digestive tract healthy with Erceflora Kiddie
    Partner Stories

    Gut Health: How to keep your child’s digestive tract healthy with Erceflora Kiddie

  • Rashes or Measles? 6 symptoms of German Measles or Tigdas Hangin every parent should know

    Rashes or Measles? 6 symptoms of German Measles or Tigdas Hangin every parent should know

  • 3 reasons why you should get a Pap Smear

    3 reasons why you should get a Pap Smear

  • Gut Health: How to keep your child’s digestive tract healthy with Erceflora Kiddie
    Partner Stories

    Gut Health: How to keep your child’s digestive tract healthy with Erceflora Kiddie

  • Rashes or Measles? 6 symptoms of German Measles or Tigdas Hangin every parent should know

    Rashes or Measles? 6 symptoms of German Measles or Tigdas Hangin every parent should know

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Baby Names
    • Delivery
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Advice for Parenting Kids
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Lifestyle Section
    • Local celebs
    • Celebrities
    • Money
    • News
  • FAMILY & HOME
    • Couples
    • Weekend & Holiday Guide
    • Health
  • Building a BakuNation
    • More
      • TAP Community
      • Advertise With Us
      • Contact Us
      • Become a Contributor


    • Singapore flag Singapore
    • Thailand flag Thailand
    • Indonesia flag Indonesia
    • Philippines flag Philippines
    • Malaysia flag Malaysia
    • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
    • India flag India
    • Vietnam flag Vietnam
    • Australia flag Australia
    • Japan flag Japan
    • Nigeria flag Nigeria
    • Kenya flag Kenya
    © Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
    About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
    • Tools
    • Articles
    • Feed
    • Poll

    We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

    We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

    theAsianparent heart icon
    Nais naming magpadala ng notification sa'yo tungkol sa latest news at update sa pag-aalaga ng baby at kanilang kalusugan.