RESUMEN
In May 2011, more than a decade after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) abandoned sex testing, they devised new policies in response to the IAAF's treatment of Caster Semenya, the South African runner whose sex was challenged because of her spectacular win and powerful physique that fueled an international frenzy questioning her sex and legitimacy to compete as female. These policies claim that atypically high levels of endogenous testosterone in women (caused by various medical conditions) create an unfair advantage and must be regulated. Against the backdrop of Semenya's case and the scientific and historical complexity of "gender verification" in elite sports, we question the new policies on three grounds: (1) the underlying scientific assumptions; (2) the policymaking process; and (3) the potential to achieve fairness for female athletes. We find the policies in each of these domains significantly flawed and therefore argue they should be withdrawn.
Asunto(s)
Andrógenos/sangre , Atletas , Cromosomas Humanos X , Trastornos del Desarrollo Sexual/complicaciones , Trastornos del Desarrollo Sexual/diagnóstico , Genitales Femeninos/anomalías , Hiperandrogenismo/etiología , Políticas , Análisis para Determinación del Sexo , Deportes , Testosterona/sangre , Hiperplasia Suprarrenal Congénita/sangre , Hiperplasia Suprarrenal Congénita/complicaciones , Confidencialidad , Trastornos del Desarrollo Sexual/sangre , Femenino , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Humanos , Hiperandrogenismo/sangre , Internacionalidad , Análisis para Determinación del Sexo/historia , Análisis para Determinación del Sexo/métodos , Análisis para Determinación del Sexo/tendencias , Deportes/historia , Deportes/legislación & jurisprudencia , Deportes/normas , Deportes/tendenciasAsunto(s)
Doping en los Deportes/ética , Doping en los Deportes/tendencias , Caracteres Sexuales , Análisis para Determinación del Sexo , Procesos de Determinación del Sexo , Deportes/ética , Neoplasias de las Glándulas Suprarrenales/sangre , Neoplasias de las Glándulas Suprarrenales/fisiopatología , Hiperplasia Suprarrenal Congénita/sangre , Hiperplasia Suprarrenal Congénita/fisiopatología , Femenino , Humanos , Síndrome de Klinefelter/sangre , Síndrome de Klinefelter/fisiopatología , Masculino , Fuerza Muscular , Pubertad , Análisis para Determinación del Sexo/métodos , Análisis para Determinación del Sexo/tendencias , Testosterona/sangreRESUMEN
Ambiguous genitalia of the newborn is the paradigm of a disorder of sex development that demands a multidisciplinary team approach to management. The problem is immediately apparent at birth. Abnormalities of the external genitalia sufficient to warrant genetic and endocrine studies occur in one in 4500 births. In recent decades there have been improvements in diagnosis and early management, particularly with respect to congenital adrenal hyperplasia, the commonest cause of ambiguous genitalia of the newborn. However, dissatisfaction with overall management remains. A Clinical Guidelines and Handbook for Parents generated by a partnership of health professionals and support groups is available on the internet. The professional societies representing paediatric endocrinology responded by organizing a consensus meeting on the management of intersex. This resulted in the publication of a Consensus Statement encompassing many aspects of management, extending from birth to adulthood.