2024-08-02 17:03:41
After 46 seconds, the fight between Imane Khelif and Italian boxer Angela Carini is over. The latter retreated after two hard hits on the nose. A discussion arose as to whether Khelif could possibly be a man. What will he tell you?
The 25-year-old Khelif was not allowed to participate in the World Cup final last year because the International Boxing Association (IBA) found high levels of the female hormone testosterone in relevant samples. It is expected that an X and a Y chromosome were found in Khelif during a DNA test, i.e. a male chromosome pattern. However, the IBA was not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which also approved Khelif for the Paris Winter Games.
“She was born a woman, she lives as a woman, she boxes as a woman and according to her passport she is a woman,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams, explaining the decision. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, however, said after the fight was canceled : “I disagree with the IOC. I think female athletes with male genetic characteristics should not be allowed to compete in women’s competitions.”
The exact conditions of the case are not defined – but answers to basic medical questions can be provided.
Both numbers have both sex hormones, just in a correspondingly different ratio. The level of hormones varies from person to person, and the effect is different on life. For example, girls often have pimples during puberty because more testosterone is circulating in the body, which is also the reason why pubic hair grows.
When does testosterone increase in women?
There are many reasons why testosterone levels increase in women. A common cause is the so-called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); such as University Hospital Zurich
Similarly, diseases of the adrenal glands or tumors in the ovaries can lead to increased androgen concentration in the blood. A lot of male hormones can also be found when doping with testosterone preparations.
What do chromosomes say about gender?
The general rule is: women have two X chromosomes, men have one X and one Y chromosome. However, there are rare exceptions in which people with two pairs of XY chromosomes appear female on the outside (“XY females”). This is a form of intersexuality.
One such great is called complete androgen resistance
A famous example from top sport is South African middle-distance runner and multiple Olympic champion Caster Semenya apparently androgen resistance
It may also be that the Y chromosome is defective: Correctly determined A gene on the Y chromosome
In addition to defects in the SRY gene, there are other changes in the geometry on different chromosomes that lead to similar manifestations. Collectively, such genetic changes are referred to as “Swyer-Illness
Do women have a competitive advantage?
There is no evidence that Imane Khelif could be a trans woman. However, transgender women – people who are actually biologically male and identify as women during their lives – by no means always have a competitive advantage.
This is demonstrated by the current study in the journal “British Journal of Sports Medicine
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