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To know or not to know? Where do I stand? The trouble is, our lives can really be split into two parts: our youth and adulthood. So, yes, sure: knowing in my youth could have made all the difference to my adolescence.

Had I been able to access treatments then, it’s likely that period would have been a much happier time for me. I would have had a more muscular and manly form, more energy and a more positive attitude. In turn, I’d guess I’d be less likely to be bullied, or even if I still was, I’d have the physical confidence to respond.

But those positive outcomes would be thrown into disarray on reaching adulthood, particularly in relation to pursuing a partner with whom to spend the rest of your life. To know from the outset that you could never have children of your own: how would you broach this subject? For so many, this would make such relationships a non-starter.

Then again, an early diagnosis has the potential to address many of the issues young men may face as they transition into adulthood. I could have accessed targeted educational interventions and employment support, helping to better prepare me for the road ahead. Perhaps I would have developed more self-confidence, discarding the acute anxiety that characterised my youth.

I suppose it is all swings and roundabouts. In any case, tales of what if are irrelevant. We are where we are. There was undoubtedly great wisdom in coming to know late in my case. The experiences of those formative years made me the person I am today. I suppose it is time to embrace who I am, and all I have been blessed with. If all of life is a trial, these are just my tests. I did not know, but now I do.