The artist born without a uterus

Wani Ardy was born without a uterus

For years she kept her condition a secret

even as she embarked on a career as a performer and writer

Location: Shah Alam, Malaysia

PERFORMER AND ACTIVIST WANI ARDY, SAYING:

"That was very confusing for me. There was not much information and all I found out, all I discovered at that moment was just the fact that I was born without a uterus. So for me it was like, what, what does that even mean, you know? And I couldn't find anyone who could relate to that. There's nobody in my circle - not my friends, not my relatives who had this problem, who had this issue. So it was very puzzling for me. I felt very isolated."

Wani later learned that her rare condition has a name:

Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH)

when internal sex organs are either absent or underdeveloped at birth

In 2014, Wani went public with her condition

and founded a support group that has grown to over 200 members

She has also acted in a TV series whose lead character has MRKH

GYNECOLOGIST WHO STUDIES MRKH, DR. HARIZAH HATIM, SAYING:

"I think she has been a really major figure in advocating on MRKH. Because of her, I think there's a lot more people, a lot of more girls are more brave to come up and talk and get diagnosed, and come to the doctor and say 'hey, I have this problem, I need you to investigate'. I think it's also important that she makes aware of MRKH especially towards the parents. They should know and they should be able to help the girls go seek treatment."