World Athletics Bans Transgender Women | 27 Mar 2023
Why in News?
World Athletics, the governing body for athletics, has announced a ban on transgender women from competing in elite female competitions if they have gone through male puberty.
- The council has also imposed stricter regulations on athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD) by reducing the maximum amount of plasma testosterone for athletes in half, from 5 to 2.5 nanomoles per litre.
What are the Major Points Related to the Ban?
- According to World Athletics, the ban on transgender women competing in elite female competitions is based on the need to protect the female category.
- The tighter rules will impact DSD athletes such as Caster Semenya, Christine Mboma, and Francine Niyonsaba.
- At the 2020 Olympics, Semenya and Niyonsaba were both barred from the 800m race and turned their attention to the 5,000m, while Mboma won silver in the 200m.
- Swimming's world governing body, World Aquatics, has also banned transgender women from elite competition if they have experienced any part of male puberty.
What is DSD?
- It is a condition in which an individual's physical sex characteristics do not align with typical male or female development.
- This can include various genetic, hormonal, or anatomical differences, leading to conditions such as intersex or ambiguous genitalia.
- In the context of athletics, DSD athletes may have naturally high levels of testosterone, which has been a subject of controversy and regulation in sports.
- For instance, DSD athletes have male testes but do not produce enough of the hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that is necessary for the formation of male external genitalia.