Abby and Brittany Hensel are dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning that they give the impression of a normal body with two heads. In reality, this is their anatomy:
- 2 heads
- 2 spines merging at the coccyx, and joined at the thorax by sections of ribs. Surgery was employed to correct scoliosis
- 2 completely separate spinal cords
- 2 arms (originally 3, but rudimentary central arm was surgically removed, leaving central shoulder blade in place)
- 1 broad ribcage with 2 highly fused sternums and traces of bridging ribs. Surgery was employed to expand the pleural cavities
- 2 breasts
- 2 hearts in a shared circulatory system (nutrition, respiration, medicine taken by either affects both)
- 4 lungs with the medial lungs moderately fused, not involving Brittany's upper right lobe; three pleural cavities
- 1 diaphragm with well-coordinated involuntary breathing, slight central defect
- 2 stomachs
- 2 gallbladders
- 1 liver, enlarged and elongated right lobe
- Y-shaped small intestine which experiences a slightly spastic double peristalsis at the juncture
- 1 large intestine with one colon
- 3 kidneys: 2 left, 1 right
- 1 bladder
- 1 set of reproductive organs
- 2 separate half-sacrums, which converge distally
- 1 slightly broad pelvis
- 2 legs
In summary: they are two people from the waist up; from down below, they share body parts. Each twin controls "her" half of the body, i.e., if you slap the arm closer to Brittany's head only she will go ouch; abby can't feel it.
They learnt to walk, run, and ride a bike at the time most kids do; they basically did everything normal twin sisters could-- except get away from each other. They work in amazing sync but they are two totally different people: Abby likes more pink and girly stuff; and Brittany's more not into pink. They take turns a lot and do a lot of bargaining: one day Abby will pick the outfit, the other day Britty will.
It's kinda unclear whether they can be seperated, but if they were, they'd have just one arm and one leg, half a body, and a lifetime of confinement to wheelchairs. Together they can ride bikes, play sports, swim, and even drive cars together.
Yes, they can drive. They were born on March 7, 1990, and on their 16th birthday, they had their driving tests. They had to take it twice, one for each twin. Abby took over the pedals and the gear shifter. Brittany did the blinkers and the lights. Both girls have their hands on the steering wheel. But Abby likes going faster than Brittany prefers.
According to their (then) 12-year-old younger sister Morgan: "When they first started to drive, it was kind of scary, because they would hit the breaks and then go too slow and then go too fast and then too slow."
Some interest has been shown over dating and all that other birds and bees stuff. According to their mom, the girls having been talking with their female friends about boys they like and such; and they certainly flirt with boys at school. But they haven't told who they have crushes on, and Mom is fine with them being quiet for now.
How will they date? One guy, or two? They share a vagina and reproductive organs. They have said they are going to be moms, definitely. When they have sex...can they have two husbands, or will that be adultery? Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins from the early 1900s, didn't share vaginas or anything, but Violet couldn't get a marriage licencse because she couldn't have sex in private.
What I think is that they will have to find a guy they both like and who can stand the idea of two girls feeling sex. As for children... will their offspring have defects from doublemothering? It's been speculated if doublefathering is possible but not doublemothering...until now.
People ask, will one be an aunt and the other a mum? But that's private, I think. The whole world does not need to know who they're seeing, or their sexual experiences. What I'm more interested in is what the kids will call their moms. Mom/Mother, perhaps? Maybe by their first names? Mom 1 and Mom 2?
Leave a comment saying what you think their kids should call them!
