African runner's gender in question

[#juan]

South Africa condemned the international media reports as an invasion of the teenager's privacy and threatened a "third world war" if the women's 800m champion is disqualified from athletics.

The process by which Semenya's most intimate physical details have become a public talking point intensified when Australia's Sydney Daily Telegraph said that she has no womb or ovaries, but rather has internal male testes, which are producing extraordinary amounts of testosterone.

Caster Semenya withdraws from race in South Africa | Sport | guardian.co.uk

 

[#juan]

While I don't condemn this poor athlete, women do have things like ovaries and a womb and they don't have testes. Is the testosterone the reason for her success? Is it fair to ordinary women athletes?

I would say the testosterone is a big factor.

What is the answer here....Comments?

 

[karrie]

There is simply no winning with this one. Disallowing her is saying she's not a woman. Allowing her is an unfair advantage. Poor thing. There's simply no fitting in.

 

[#juan]

There is simply no winning with this one. Disallowing her is saying she's not a woman. Allowing her is an unfair advantage. Poor thing. There's simply no fitting in.

I wonder if she would be willing to give up the testes? This lady's physical advantage would almost certainly disappear with the loss of the testes. If she lost the testes, her female attributes would likely become more pronounced. ( I will call her a lady because she had no say in her gender)If she remains the way she is, there will be other problems down the road. Miserable choices.

 

[lone wolf]

Her life has got to be hell....

 

[karrie]

I wonder if she would be willing to give up the testes? This lady's physical advantage would almost certainly disappear with the loss of the testes. If she lost the testes, her female attributes would likely become more pronounced. ( I will call her a lady because she had no say in her gender)If she remains the way she is, there will be other problems down the road. Miserable choices.

I don't know if an 18 yr old can go/should go without human sex hormones juan. I think that's a pretty medically unsound idea, and trying to transition someone who's had testosterone naturally in their system all their life, to suddenly taking artificial female hormones, could be brutal and downright devastating. It may be what she chooses to do in the end, but, it would almost certainly, if not end her career, put a serious kink in it.

 

[DurkaDurka]

What is he/she going to down when their track career is finished? If I was it, I would be getting those internal nuts removed and get on an estrogen treatment.

 

[#juan]

I don't know if an 18 yr old can go/should go without human sex hormones juan. I think that's a pretty medically unsound idea, and trying to transition someone who's had testosterone naturally in their system all their life, to suddenly taking artificial female hormones, could be brutal and downright devastating. It may be what she chooses to do in the end, but, it would almost certainly, if not end her career, put a serious kink in it.

I think her running career is probably over now. It is too bad this problem wasn't discovered when she was an infant because the excess testosterone likely inhibited the developement of ovaries and womb. Odd that a penis didn't develop as well.

 

[#juan]

What is he/she going to down when their track career is finished? If I was it, I would be getting those internal nuts removed and get on an estrogen treatment.

Maybe the answer is the other way. She already has a good supply of male hormones and she has the testes. Like I said earlier....Miserable choices...

 

[DurkaDurka]

Maybe the answer is the other way. She already has a good supply of male hormones and she has the testes. Like I said earlier....Miserable choices...

true, pretty messed up situation all around.

 

[YukonJack]

Many records in the past, established by Soviet, Bulgarian, Cuban (and any and all Communist countries) "females" have been allowed to stand.

South Africa MUST have recognition for accomplishments, since it has shaken off the chains of colonialism. This glorious victory MUST be recognized.

Call it the Nelson Mandela Award.

 

[Niflmir]

I have been wondering for something like a year now when something like this would happen. I wonder what the take away lesson will be. There are no real winning choices here.

 

[#juan]

Many records in the past, established by Soviet, Bulgarian, Cuban (and any and all Communist countries) "females" have been allowed to stand.

South Africa MUST have recognition for accomplishments, since it has shaken off the chains of colonialism. This glorious victory MUST be recognized.

Call it the Nelson Mandela Award.

Relax Jack
The "lady's running career is likely over. While she didn't inject herself with testosterone, her testosterone levels are three times what they should be. The situation is unfortunate, but can we accept women with testes, no ovaries, and testosterone levels higher than some of the men? Do you want this to be the new normal?

 

[AnnaG]

Relax Jack
The "lady's running career is likely over. While she didn't inject herself with testosterone, her testosterone levels are three times what they should be. The situation is unfortunate, but can we accept women with testes, no ovaries, and testosterone levels higher than some of the men? Do you want this to be the new normal?

Typical guy. Can't handle the thought of females out-performing guys.

Relax, Juan, I'm kidding. lol

 

[#juan]

Typical guy. Can't handle the thought of females out-performing guys.

Relax, Juan, I'm kidding. lol

Nah....It just proves how good women could be if they just had the balls....I didn't mean it..I didn't mean it....;-):lol:

 

[talloola]

How can they call him/her a hermaphrodite, as it seems she/he does not have
male and female reproductive organs, if the description is correct, she has male
reproductive organs, but not normally developed.
She has no womb or ovaries apparantly.
Her/his life is definitely going to be hell for a while.

But, if he/she is actually a male, she/he cannot compete against females.
She is obviously male looking, and much stronger and faster than her opponants.

If he/she has been raised a female, that might have been done on an emotional
level by her parents from birth, which is also a tragedy, but maybe done out
of ignorance, and no fault of their own.

I wonder 'what' he/she felt like growing up, emotionally, there could be another
story within herself/himself, that no one knows.

 

[AnnaG]

Nah....It just proves how good women could be if they just had the balls....I didn't mean it..I didn't mean it....;-):lol:

roflmao I must be doing ok then because I have more balls than Sir Jehovah Pompass. lol

 

[#juan]

I don't know if an 18 yr old can go/should go without human sex hormones juan. I think that's a pretty medically unsound idea, and trying to transition someone who's had testosterone naturally in their system all their life, to suddenly taking artificial female hormones, could be brutal and downright devastating. It may be what she chooses to do in the end, but, it would almost certainly, if not end her career, put a serious kink in it.

His/Her outward appearance looks quite male. Maybe since he/she has a good supply of natural male hormones, maybe that is the easiest direction to take. Some successful female to male sex changes started with a hell of a lot less. Obviously this person has a decision to make.