Hermaphrodite was pregnant

PATNA, India (AP): In a rare case, an Indian with both male and female sexual characteristics was found to be pregnant, his doctor said Wednesday.

Ganesh Kumar Yadav, 16, a resident of the eastern Indian town of Darbhanga, 850 kilometers (530 miles) east of New Delhi, sought medical help when he suffered acute pain in the lower abdomen and began to bleed profusely.

Dr. Kumudni Jha, a gynecologist, did an ultrasound test and discovered a dead 17-week-old fetus in Yadav's uterus. The bleeding was a result of a miscarriage, Jha said. Jha removed the fetus in an operation Monday.

Yadav, who considers himself male, has a well developed penis, one testicle -- the other was surgically removed a few years ago -- and an underdeveloped scrotum. He also has a vagina, well- developed breasts, a uterus and monthly menstrual periods.

"Ganesh is a true hermaphrodite with characteristics of both sexes," Jha told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

"There have been cases of true hermaphrodites but a pregnancy is extremely rare," she said.

According to Jha, Yadav denied having had any sexual contact, but the doctor was skeptical he had impregnated himself. "Auto fertilization is too far-fetched a possibility," Jha said.

Jha and other doctors attending to Yadav have suggested he undergo an operation to become wholly female, saying the pregnancy indicates he could lead a normal life as a woman. But Yadav has refused, Jha said.