Favourable genetics not testosterone giving Caster Semenya turbo – UK study

LONDON — Controversy has dogged Caster Semenya, double Olympic gold medal winner in the 800 metres in 2012 and 2016, for most of her career. Recently the debate about her gender was reopened when the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) adopted a new rule that prevents women with hyperandrogenism from competing in events from 400-1500m if they have testosterone levels higher than five nanomoles per litre. Women with elevated levels of testosterone in these events are required to take medication to reduce their levels. Many thought this could be the end of Semenya's stellar athletic career. South Africans are overwhelmingly in support of Semenya and the United Nations Human Rights Council called the plans unnecessary, humiliating and harmful. Semenya has appealed and is waiting for a verdict by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is expected at the end of April. The President of the IAAF, Sebastian Coe said in an interview earlier this month that gender classification was needed to protect women's sport to which Semenya responded that he had opened old wounds and that she was no threat to women's sport. In a reality check in the BBC's Science Focus Magazine, endocrinologist Prof Peter Sonksen, who has been awarded an OBE for his contribution in fighting against doping in sport comes out in support of Semenya, saying her performance is down to favourable genetics and the goals that women like her are reaching, are attainable for other women. He is backed up by Cambridge prof Malcolm Ferguson-Smith. – Linda van Tilburg.By Thulasizwe Sithole.The BBC's Science Focus magazine has a section where they get experts to check on claims and in this case; they wanted to know whether Caster Semenya's high testosterone levels are in fact the reason for her superior performance. Prof Peter Sonksen acknowledges that he and prof Malcolm Ferguson-Smith did not have access to Semenya's medical records. The only information they had to go on, was that she was born as a female baby and went on to become a talented athlete..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.Prof Sonksen says that he believes that the IAAF's conclusion that Semenya's success is due to her high testosterone levels, is inaccurate. The conclusion of the IAAF is based on a 2017 study funded by the athletics body. He says, "other studies have criticised this conclusion." The professor says it is likely that Semenya has Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and a "foetus with AIS, although being genetically male with XY chromosomes and internal testes does not respond to testosterone because of a defect in the testosterone receptor gene.".The effect of AIS is that the babies are identified as female at birth and the diagnosis is often only made by a doctor once the woman does not develop a menstrual cycle and is found to be infertile. In many cases, the testes would then be removed. Professor Sonksen assumes that Semenya's diagnosis only came to light after a routine doping test. Although he can't pinpoint the exact genetic cause, he concludes that "she is severely insensitive to testosterone." He says the IAAF chooses to ignore this argument..Prof Ferguson-Smith who tested 3,397 female athletes at the Atlanta Olympic Games, "found eight with XY sex chromosomes, of whom seven had AIS." Six of the athletes had operations to remove their testicles, and this is the interesting part, they still reached Olympic standard. The athletic ability of these women, most who were as tall as men and now virtually lacked testosterone, appeared to be unaffected. Prof Ferguson-Smith has in a follow-up study found that there were a high number of XY women in elite sports with AIS and other disorders of sexual development. Prof Sonksen says this study indicates that "it is likely due to genes on the Y chromosome, especially those associated with height in the male range", that lead these women to become elite athletes, not testosterone levels..He says athletes are generally selected on their physical prowess, which they achieve because they have "favourable genes" and "it is discriminatory to exclude those athletes who have favourable genes on the Y chromosome." Prof Sonksen comes to the conclusion that athletes who have AIS do not have a greater advantage than any other athletes with favourable genes on other chromosomes..He is backed up by Prof Ferguson-Smith who says, "women with hyperandrogenism possess no physical attribute relevant to athletic performance that is neither attainable, not present in other women." They believe the IAAF is "barking up the wrong tree" in its decision to ban women with AIS from certain elite sporting events.

Favourable genetics not testosterone giving Caster Semenya turbo – UK study

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