Men are Men and Women are Women, uh, well…
The case of Caster Semenya, the South African track woman who’s burning up the times at some track meet.
Some folks want her to be tested to find out if she’s really a woman.
Simple, right? Wrong!!!
See folks, we all go around thinking there are just men and women. What we dont’ realize is what an incredible spectrum is out there, and in fact, it is essentially impossible to test accurately.
Really nice article. Any MDs out there care to weight in?
Where’s the Rulebook for Sex Verification?
I don’t suppose Semenya means semen yes in Caster’s native language.
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random noter: yay , I’m glad someone is writing about this. As soon as I saw the story I wondered what they’d do if they discovered she was intersexed – where does that fit in? I just think everyone should compete in the same comp. Is it really meaningful to argue that women might win less? Isn’t that like having a separate marathon for African countries so that non-Africans can win more?
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It’s complex, but here goes. Men are XY and women are XX in the 23rd chromosome pair. There are several common types of chromosome errors that cause chromosome disease. The effects of errors in the sex chromosomes (X and Y) differ greatly from errors in the autosomes (chromosomes 1..22). Sometimes people are born with only one sex chromosome (monosomy of the sex chromosome), or with three sex chromosomes (trisomy of the sex chromosome). These rare variations and the syndromes related to the viable combinations are: XXY (Klinefelter), XXX, XYY, and XO (Turner). So basically, if Semenya tests XY or XX, it’s clear. Klinefelter’s syndrome XXY is considered male, while Turner XO is female.
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I should add that Dreger’s theories (and book) are considered a little shaky from a clinical perspective. She’s not an MD, and makes some pretty questionable claims.
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i had no idea there were so many differences. it’s confusing, to say the least. take care,
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I’m not an MD, but I’ve done a lot of research (and I’m married to David, who knows everything). [BedlamHillFarm] forgot to include that there are other factors as well. It goes well beyond XY. If an XY fetus is exposed to a lot of estrogen in the womb, the baby will develop female genitals. The same is true for an XX baby and too much testosterone. Hormones play such a huge role that justgoing on chromosomes sometimes gives misleading answers. Also, there are people who have some cells with XY chromosomes, and some with XX, or XXY. Or other variations. Hugs, John
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ryn: I think you are, and should compete as, what your genetics say you are. Chromosomes don’t lie, and hormones and cosmetic surgery don’t change what you are at the core. Some men get treatment with female hormones for certain cancers, but the feminizing effects don’t “make them” women. It’s all cosmetic in the end. Michael Jackson spent a fortune to look like a white version of Diana Ross. But no matter what, he was a black male. There is a very limited set of potential results for Semenya, and they should determine what category of competition is appropriate.
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