Rob Wilson, a poultry breeder from Longford, Tasmania, Australia, is known both for his expertise in breeding Wyandotte chickens and for his personal story as an intersex individual who discovered the medical basis of his body later in life. Wilson featured in the ABC programme Back Roads, where he discussed his life experiences, identity, and hormone treatment.
Rob Wilson has been breeding chickens since childhood. He specialises in Wyandotte fowl, known for their diverse and colourful plumage. Over many years, he has developed rare varieties of the breed. As he explained in an ABC interview, there are dozens of colour varieties worldwide, and he has bred many of them on his property.
Wilson was born with both male and female genitalia, a variation of biological sex characteristics that was not fully understood or explained to him during childhood. According to Wilson’s account, doctors made an early decision to assign him as male because he urinated from a structure resembling a penis, and they surgically closed the female genital opening when he was three days old.
For much of his life, Wilson lived and identified as a man. He was given testosterone supplements from the age of 8, underwent multiple surgeries, and experienced health issues that were never clearly linked to his underlying biology.
In his mid-50s, Wilson learned from his aunt that he had been born with a rare chromosomal variation identified as 48, XXXY, a condition significantly affecting sex development and bodily hormone expression. This revelation helped explain symptoms he had lived with for years, including periodic pelvic pain that he previously attributed to mundane causes.
According to his account, the untreated menstrual blood was reabsorbed into his body following the early surgery, which contributed to unusually high iron levels in him right now.
The term intersex refers to variations in biological sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies.
Intersex traits may involve differences in chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, or external genitalia. People with intersex variations are not necessarily ill or disordered; rather, they represent naturally occurring diversity in sex development. According to WebMD, it is common than having red hair or an identical twin.
Some individuals with intersex traits are identified at birth when genital differences are apparent, while others may not become aware of their biology until puberty or adulthood. The condition is generally not a disease, and many people with intersex traits live healthy lives without medical intervention unless there are specific health needs.
After learning about his biological variation, Wilson sought specialized hormone treatment to balance his endocrine profile. Because the required treatment was not available in Australia, he began annual visits to Ukraine, where physicians have experience with similar cases. In Ukraine, doctors identified that his biological makeup was predominantly female, after hormone tests, leading to a treatment regimen involving hormone suppression and modulation.
This included medications such as hormone suppressants, a human growth hormone, and contraceptive drugs to reduce testosterone and align his physiology more comfortably with his internal biology.
Throughout his life, Wilson encountered misunderstandings and stigma related to his biological variation. In his interview, he recounted challenging experiences in school and family settings, with some early relatives struggling to accept his physical differences. Despite these experiences, he developed a resilient outlook, attributing much of his personal perseverance to his upbringing.
Wilson has used his platform to speak publicly about intersex variation, hoping increased awareness will help others with similar traits receive compassionate and informed care in the future.
References
1. WebMD Article (Chicago Notes & Bibliography)
Felton, Amber, and Kim Painter. “Intersex: What It Is, What Causes It, and Treatment Options.” WebMD. Medically reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD, March 31, 2024. Accessed January 2026. https://www.webmd.com/sex/what-is-intersex.
2. PubMed Article (Chicago Notes & Bibliography)
Hegarty, Peter, and Annette Smith. “Public Understanding of Intersex: An Update on Recent Findings.” International Journal of Impotence Research 35, no. 1 (2023): 72–77. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-021-00485-w.
3. OHCHR / United Nations Human Rights Office Content (Chicago Notes & Bibliography)
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Born Free and Equal: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics in International Human Rights Law. Geneva: UN, 2019. https://searchlibrary.ohchr.org/record/28775.
