Intersex for Nigeria: ‘I wan kill myself before’
Musbahu (no be im real name) na pesin dem born wit both man and woman bodi part.
To dey alone na one of di wahala intersex pipo for Nigeria dey face Na intersex dem take born am, wey mean say, as far as na mata of im bodi, Musbahu no follow join man or woman. Wen Musbahu wey be 24 years, be small pikin for northern Nigeria, dis mata no gree let am rest unto say im dey confused who or what im suppose be. "Wen I still dey grow and di tin wey dey block my eye comot say I no be boy or girl, shock catch me" Musbahu tell BBC. Some of di first tins Musbahu remember wen im be pikin na how pipo dey laff am. "Onto di way pipo dey abuse me and laff me, I cari my own two leg comot myself for school but e no change anytin sake of say e no make me jolli". "One time dey sef wey l wan kill myself to free myself for di wahala l dey face," Musbahu confess. 'I be Lesbian, but I also be pesin’ Na boy dem first raise me Musbahu tok say, im papa, mama and oda family members "don accept am di way im be". But e no easy for Musbahu papa for beginning. ''Shock fall for my head di day dem born am" Papa Musbahu tok. "Wen di storm first land, I dey feel say make l just die for here but sake of say l dey follow God wella, e don make tins beta''. Musbahu go like if pipo dey see am as man even though im get both man and woman private part "Na boy we first bin dey raise Musbahu; im dey answer boy name and we send am go boys' school.'' But di way im bodi begin dey change cari im mind comot for di life we choose for am". Musbahu tok say, "Wen l reach age 10, my breasts begin dey grow, my paddy dem begin laff me, dis u-turn confuse me sotay l begin dey fear''. For di age of 11, Musbahu start to see period. "After dat, my life almost turn upside down," Papa Musbahu remember. Dr Anas Yahaya, wey be expert for gender mata for Bayero University, Kano tok say dis kain tin common well-well. "One out of 2,000 new born pikin dem wey comot for Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital for Kano, Nigeria na intersex dem be". For Nigeria, and all di world, intersex pipo dey face strong abuse and hate. Wetin be intersex? Wen dem born intersex pipo, dem bin dey get both man and woman private part. For doctors wey wan sabi weda intersex pesin na boy or girl, dem dey look wetin happun as di child dey grow from small. Dis sign na for Namibia. E reach 1.7% pipo wey get intersex signs Dem dey check DNA and tins like chromosomes, wey dey decide if pikin suppose be man or woman wen in dey di belle of im mama. Dem go see weda di baby get egg like woman or balls for im penis like man, and weda dem get womb or not. Dem also dey test di hormone di pesin bodi dey produce. According to di United Nations, di condition dey affect up to 1.7% of population for world. Wen gender become mata of choice As time dey go, Musbahu no hapi wit di kain life im dey live but for im mind na man im choose for imself. Im believe say di dream to live "normal life" go allow am finish school, find work and start family. Wen im first go see doctor, dem tell am say, im get choice to use operation change im gender. Mushabu tok say, "Doctors tell me say e dey okay if na man l wan be". But di surgery go cost N250,000 ($695) and im family no get dat kain moni. Papa Musbahu tok say, "I no even get money to feed my family, so how l wan pay for my pikin operation. Na dis make me comot di idea for my head dat time". For Nigeria, and all over di world, intersex pipo dey face stigma But, one local radio station agree bring dem come tok dia matter for live program, so dem fit raise donation and dem manage raise half di money dem dey find for di surgery. "We don finish di first and second level of di operation, well well." "Dem comot my breast, cervix and stop di menstruation but our money come finish after dat," Musbahu tok. Now, di family dey find di rest of di money wey go complete Musbahu operation.