Twenty-two-year-old Kelly Smith suffers from Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, which means she was born with a very shallow vagina and no uterus.
Kelly’s condition means that she has never had sex and and she will never be able to have children.
She says: “It’s very isolating and you feel like a freak, especially when not even doctors are aware of it. It’s a lot to take in, especially at the age of 17 when you are full of hormones as it is.”
“I had always suffered from a lot of medical issues,' she explains. “I had one leg shorter than the other and I still hasn't started my period at the age of 16.”
“Most doctors just said to leave it and that [the lack of periods] was probably down to my other medical issues. So we left it until I was 17 and then we went back.”
Kelly found it difficult to accept the rare condition, which singled her out as different from her friends.
“It was very difficult to come to terms with… It is a relatively unknown condition and not many doctors have even heard of it.”
“I was lucky in that I had a lovely nurse who put no pressure on me and was really supportive. Other than her there is very little support out there other than perhaps the odd Yahoo group. It’s a very isolating condition.”
Kelly’s condition has had a detrimental affect on her relationships with the boys her age.
“It has really affected my relationships,' she says. 'I put a barrier up around myself. My friends at school would start to get into relationships and would be talking about having sex and I would just nod along.”
WOMAN ENDS UP IN HOSPITAL AFTER PUTIING POPPING CANDY IN HER VAGINA
“I did have a relationship that went really well when I was 19. He didn’t know about the condition but he knew that I couldn’t have children.”
“In the end I ended it because I didn’t feel like it was fair on him, I couldn’t deny a 22 year old man the chance to have sex and it got to the point when I just shut myself down.”
Kelly is undergoing treatment to stretch her vagina, which could hopefully mean that she can eventually have a regular and healthy sex life.
Do you think Kelly is brave for speaking out about her condition?
Kelly appears on Channel 4's Embarrassing Bodies on Thursday May 17
**You may also be interested in: TEENAGER ARRESTED WITH LOADED GUN IN HER VAGINA
**