Belgian model Hanne Gaby Odiele revealed she's intersex, in a new interview with USA Today. She tells the paper, "It is very important to me in my life right now to break the taboo."

Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that aren't male- or female-only. Approximately 1.7% of the population is born intersex and the majority go through surgery as minors, with their parents deciding on a gender for them.

The blonde 28-year-old tells her story in an Instagram video, promoting the non-profit InterACT Advocates for Intersex Youth. She writes in the caption of the post: "Today might be one of the most important days in my life, I've decide to announce with you all I'm #intersex, read my story in USA Today. I want to bring awareness and put to light the irreversible Unnecessary non consent surgeries we often go trough as kids."

Odiele was born with AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) and with internal, undescended testes. She says her parents were told by doctors, she would likely develop cancer if the testes weren't removed and that she would not "develop as a normal female girl" if they didn't go through with the procedure.

She underwent the surgery at age 10. "I knew at one point after the surgery I could not have kids, I was not having my period. I knew something was wrong with me," she explained. "It’s not that big of a deal being intersex. If they were just honest from the beginning... It became a trauma because of what they did."

Odiel is married to model John Swiatek who tells USA Today he's very proud of his wife for telling her story, saying, "I am very impressed with her decision to advocate for intersex children in order to give them an opportunity to make up their own minds about their bodies, unlike the lack of options and information Hanne and her family (and many others) were given."