The gender games
Testing Olympic athletes for gender became an issue when Caster Semenya's (a female) sex was questioned due to her masculine physique. Women were mainly tested because if their testosterone level was heightened relative to the average woman's, they would have an advantage over the other women. After a year of allegations and tests, she was allowed to compete again. Her first race after the allegations, some alleged that she gave up first place to get second so she wouldn't be accused of having an unfair advantage. Some speculated that the claims directed towards her sex took a mental toll, which she didn't want to repeat.
With these sex tests, the International Olympic Committee wishes to “level the playing field”. Females were examined naked to look for a structure called Barr body, which indicates more than one X chromosome. Some women can also have a disorder called congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which presents as having structures that look like a penis and a vagina. In actuality, the clitoris is just enlarged giving the appearance of a penis. Other women have a condition called complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. They contain an XY chromosome, but their bodies don’t respond to the testosterone and grow female genitals and breasts. All these differences in women are genetic, nothing that was altered to be advantageous. The question then arises: how is a higher-level testosterone any different than taller height. Would the same questions be asked if a woman playing basketball was taller than her teammates? Another interesting fact is more than 25 percent of the males competing in the Olympics fall below the average range of testosterone levels, yet these men aren't subjected to these tests.
Steps need to be taken in order to correct for the inequity between male and female sex-testing, and attempts must be made by the offending Olympic committee to make up for the injustices already inflicted upon some female athletes, like Semenya.
With these sex tests, the International Olympic Committee wishes to “level the playing field”. Females were examined naked to look for a structure called Barr body, which indicates more than one X chromosome. Some women can also have a disorder called congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which presents as having structures that look like a penis and a vagina. In actuality, the clitoris is just enlarged giving the appearance of a penis. Other women have a condition called complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. They contain an XY chromosome, but their bodies don’t respond to the testosterone and grow female genitals and breasts. All these differences in women are genetic, nothing that was altered to be advantageous. The question then arises: how is a higher-level testosterone any different than taller height. Would the same questions be asked if a woman playing basketball was taller than her teammates? Another interesting fact is more than 25 percent of the males competing in the Olympics fall below the average range of testosterone levels, yet these men aren't subjected to these tests.
Steps need to be taken in order to correct for the inequity between male and female sex-testing, and attempts must be made by the offending Olympic committee to make up for the injustices already inflicted upon some female athletes, like Semenya.
For more information on the resources used in this article, visit the following links:
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/fivering_circus/2012/07/olympics_sex_test_the_international_olympic_committee_has_a_way_to_test_whether_athletes_are_men_or_women_is_it_fair_.html
http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions_PDFfiles/Medical_commission/2012-06-22-IOC-Regulations-on-Female-Hyperandrogenism-eng.pdf http://www.slate.com/blogs/five_ring_circus/2012/08/11/caster_semenya_2012_olympics_did_the_south_african_runner_lose_the_women_s_800_meters_on_purpose_.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/fivering_circus/2012/07/olympics_sex_test_the_international_olympic_committee_has_a_way_to_test_whether_athletes_are_men_or_women_is_it_fair_.html
http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions_PDFfiles/Medical_commission/2012-06-22-IOC-Regulations-on-Female-Hyperandrogenism-eng.pdf http://www.slate.com/blogs/five_ring_circus/2012/08/11/caster_semenya_2012_olympics_did_the_south_african_runner_lose_the_women_s_800_meters_on_purpose_.html