“Stoneless” are women and persons with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH syndrome means congenital absence or incomplete development of the uterus and/or vagina), as well as allies. There are approx. 4,500 “stoneless” in Poland.

Many of them face discrimination on the part of doctors who lack basic knowledge about MRKH. They also often have problems finding support from their loved ones and self-acceptance when they receive the diagnosis. The Stoneless group fill this gap. “Together, we create a space where girls with the MRKH syndrome can find support, answers to their questions, useful information, and medical help”, say the members of the group.

The group wants to break the taboo related to the lack of a “stone”. Using the funds from the mini-grant, they will create and print an educational brochure addressed to gynecologists, therapists, and allies. They want to reach many places in Poland. They are also working on expanding the list of recommended, “stoneless”-friendly gynecologists, psychologists, sexologists and urophysiotherapists. “We would like doctors in Poland to stop talking about the MRKH syndrome in a stigmatizing way and not to frighten the next “stoneless”. We don’t want “stoneless” persons to be discriminated against by people whose purpose is to help”.

The group wants to give the voice to the “stoneless”, marginalized due to the lack of reproductive organs, which are considered by many to define femininity. “We are different, we live in smaller and larger towns, our sexual orientations are different, some of us define ourselves as intersex and others don’t, some of us think about motherhood, others are fulfilled mothers, and still others are partial to anti-natalism. We are divided by a lot – but connected by the MRKH syndrome and the willingness to act to end the taboo of being stoneless”, say Stoneless.

Grant amount: PLN 4,400.00

Image credit: Stoneless
Photos: Emilia Oksentowicz / .kolektyw