May Be "Impossible" To Tell Runner's Sex (South African Champ's Backers Call Probe Racist, Sexist)

There are yet more possible chromosomal complication. Bear with me, here, I'm no expert but this is what I'm reading.

What makes a person "male" is not just having a Y chromosome, but having a Y chromosome that contains Sexual Region Y (SRY): apparently, the genetic information needed to make testes.

Some unfortunate individuals have a very, very rare condition where either they have XX chromosomes (apparently female), but one of the X's contains a SRY: contains, in othr words, the fragment of genetic material that makes some masculine characteristics.

Some others ar XY (apparently male) but have a Y that doesn't have SRY: doesn't have the expected male genetic information.

There are other possible genetic anomalies as well, not involving any kind of fraud or deception, but just an unusual genetic configuration.

All very rare, as I said. And I feel sorry if anything like this turns out to be applicable to this outstanding young athlete. It's the sort of thing that can cause great suffering and anguish to the person involved.

http://priory.com/med/xx.htm

you might do your homework before making that assertion. Look up androgen insensitivity, and mosaicism among a host of genetic disorders.

Don't be such a dick (pun intended). I know what androgen insensitivity is, which is why I made the distinction "if genetic expression of gender related characteristics is defective, this doesn't change the fundamental sex of the individual."

Even if the genotype doesn't manifest itself fully in the apparent phenotype, or the genotype is co-mingled with another, it's foolish to say that someone who does not have a normal female genetic structure is female for the purposes of athletic competition. For instance, if someone is XXY, or XY with improper expression of male characteristics, they may not have all the advantages of a normal male in terms of strength, but they should not be considered female.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.