The Interconnected Histories of Endocrinology and Eligibility in Women’s Sport

Abstract

This report illustrates the links between history, sport, endocrinology, and genetics to show the ways in which historical context is key to understanding the current conversations and controversies about who may compete in the female category in elite sport. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) introduced hyperandrogenemia regulations for women’s competitions in 2011, followed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the 2012 Olympics. The policies concern female athletes who naturally produce higher-than-average levels of testosterone and want to compete in the women’s category. Hyperandrogenemia guidelines are the current effort in a long series of attempts to determine women’s eligibility scientifically. Scientific endeavors to control who may participate as a woman illustrate the impossibility of neatly classifying competitors by sex and discriminate against women with differences of sex development (also called intersex by some).

Transgender in modern olympic sports: problems and ways of their solution

“…Деякі трансґендерні особи, які прагнуть до повноцінного життя в ролі протилежної статі, роблять трансґендерний перехід (корекцію біологічної статі) за допомогою хірургічного або гормонального лікування. Після трансґендерного переходу вони називаються транссексуалами [14].…”

Research gaps in medical treatment of transgender/nonbinary people

“…Although transgender women are not the only female athletes with XY chromosomes and they are not the only female athletes with potentially higher levels of testosterone than what is typically considered the female range (105), more public participation of transgender women in sports has resulted in interest in the subtleties of androgen impact on aspects of athletic performance (106). Despite a virtual absence of data, the androgen impact tends to be divided into two categories.…”

Questioning representations of athletes with elevated testosterone levels in elite women’s sports: a critical policy analysis

“…There are comprehensive histories critically analysing the development of sex-gender testing and regulations in women's athletics (Heggie 2010, Schultz 2012a, Brömdal 2013, Pieper 2016, Bavington 2018, Rogol and Pieper 2018, Erikainen 2019. Collectively, these histories illustrate the united voices of medical representatives proposing the need for policies to 'protect' athletes in women's competition from 'unfair competition' since the 1930s.…”