How Do You Get Pregnant With No Vagina?

How Do You Get Pregnant With No Vagina?

From Science Vs by Spotify Studios

February 26, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

This episode explores the extraordinary case of a girl who became pregnant without a vagina, delving into the complexities of the reproductive system.

It's 1988 in Lesotho, and doctors at a hospital see something they thought was impossible. A 15-year-old girl shows up pregnant and in labor, but she's missing something pretty crucial to her delivery: a vagina. So — how did this happen?? We go on a roller-coaster ride through the reproductive system with Dr. Neel Shah to find out. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/sciencevsnovagina In this episode, we cover: (00:00) A small war (04:12) How do you get pregnant without a vagina? (14:37) The final unbelievable chapter This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wiley, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. Thank you to all the scientists we spoke to for this episode including, Dr. Sarah Ackroyd, Dr. Sarah Collins, Professor Adam Taylor, and Dr. Cathy Flood. Special thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman family. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for…

People in this episode

Hosts: Wendy Zukerman, Bobby Lord

Guest: Dr. Neel Shah

Topics covered

  • pregnancy
  • reproductive system
  • medical anomalies
  • healthcare
  • women's health

Keywords

  • pregnancy
  • vagina
  • reproductive health
  • medical case
  • Lesotho
  • Dr. Neel Shah
  • healthcare

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Science Vs, Spotify Studios

Places: Lesotho

More episodes of Science Vs

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Science Vs podcast page.