A woman who was born with two vaginas and "no bum" has explained how it impacts her life.
Anja Christoffersen, 26, was born with VACTERL association, a complex set of birth defects that occur during early embryo development.
This condition can lead to vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheo-esophageal, renal, and limb abnormalities. VACTERL association affects one in 10,000 to 40,000 births globally, and its cause remains unknown.
Christoffersen’s case is exceptionally unique, with her specific condition occurring in only one in 50,000 children. She was born with two vaginas and no anal canal.
"As a child, I didn’t even know there was anything wrong with me," she told The Courier Mail.
"I basically spent my first five years of life living in hospital because I had so many surgeries and admissions."
The model, who has walked the runways at Amsterdam Fashion Week, took to TikTok to discuss the realities of living without a "bum hole."
Despite having VACTERL association her entire life, she admitted that it is still difficult for her to describe.
"No matter how many times I talk about this, I still feel vulnerable," she shared. "Being born with one pelvic opening instead of three is a very strange thing to try and explain. So my two vaginas, my urethra, and my anal opening all come out in one hole. As a woman, we’re supposed to have three. I had one."
Christoffersen had her first surgery at just five hours old to be fitted with a colostomy and vesicostomy to allow waste to leave her body.
At seven months old, she underwent a full pelvic reconstruction to create the three separate openings she needed.
This major surgery, she explained, left her with many lifelong consequences.
While humor helps her cope, Christoffersen has faced significant challenges managing her rare and complex medical condition.
In a second video, she explained how she was born without access to her stomach because her food pipe was joined to her air pipe, leading to multiple surgeries.
"I actually can’t swallow. I don’t have any contractions in my food pipe, so eating and drinking can be quite challenging as it is gravity functional only," she told The Courier Mail.
Additionally, incontinence remains a challenge as her reconstruction left her without a sphincter or the nerves and muscles necessary to signal when she needs to use the bathroom.
Another complication from her condition is potential pregnancy issues due to having two uteruses.
"Along with having two vaginas, that also comes with two uteruses and what comes along with that is challenges with having a baby," she added.
"I should be able to have children but only able to carry them to about seven months. Hopefully, that happens one day, but who knows."
Despite these challenges, Christoffersen remains optimistic.
As a disability and chronic illness advocate with the Women with Disabilities Entrepreneur Network, she believes in achieving her dreams regardless of her congenital condition.
"It doesn’t have to have an impact on your quality of life and the dreams that you can achieve," she shared.
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