Global injustice in sport: The Caster Semenya ordeal - prejudice, discrimination and racial bias

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) requires the blood testosterone level of female athletes with differences of sex development to be reduced to below 5 nmol/L for a continuous period of at least 6 months, and thereafter to be maintained to below 5 nmol/L continuously for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSouth African medical journal Vol. 109; no. 8; p. 548
Main Authors Mahomed, S, Dhai, A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published South Africa Health & Medical Publishing Group 01.08.2019
Subjects
Associations
Athletes
Athletes - legislation & jurisprudence
Discrimination
Ethics
Female
Human rights
Humans
Hyperandrogenism
Medical ethics
Medical law
Occupations
Olympic athletes
Prejudice
Racism
Semenya, Caster
Sex Determination Analysis - ethics
Sports associations
Sports Medicine - legislation & jurisprudence
Testosterone
Women athletes
South Africa
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Summary:The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) requires the blood testosterone level of female athletes with differences of sex development to be reduced to below 5 nmol/L for a continuous period of at least 6 months, and thereafter to be maintained to below 5 nmol/L continuously for as long as the athlete wishes to remain eligible. Its ruling is based on questionable research findings. Medical decisions and interventions should be based on evidence from well-designed and well-conducted research and confirmatory studies. Caster Semenya, the reigning 800-meter Olympic champion since 2015, has challenged this ruling. Gender verification was instituted with women's participation in the Olympics in 1900, and female athletes were subjected to invasive, embarrassing and humiliating procedures. In its many decades of harsh scrutiny of successful female athletes, especially those from backgrounds similar to Semenya's, the IAAF has disrespected human rights and medical ethics and allowed prejudice, discrimination and injustice to infringe on their dignity and relentlessly obstruct their international sporting careers.
ISSN:0256-9574
2078-5135
DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i8.14152