World Athletics bans transgender women from competing in female sporting events

World Athletics (WA), the international governing body for the sport of athletics on Thursday, announced that it had banned transgender athletes from participating in "elite female events." The stricter regulations surrounding one of the most contentious and divisive problems in the world of sports follow a similar move made by World Aquatics in 2022. As per Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, the decision to exclude transgender women who had experienced male puberty was reached to meet the "overarching need to protect the female category." As per AFP, the governing body has also tightened testosterone requirements for other athletes.

The World Athletics Council hasdecided to limit plasma testosterone levels for athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD) from the current five nanomoles per litre to 2.5 nanomoles per litre.

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Additionally, DSD athletes will have to reduce testosterone levels below the set limit for at least 24 months to be eligible to compete. Earlier, they could participate after maintaining the requisite limit for merely 12 months.

The term DSD refers to athletes who have male testes but whose bodies do not produce enough of the hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to be able to form male external genitalia.

Citing WA president Coe, AFP reports that the International Olympic Committee, 40 member federations, coaches, athletes, as well as a variety of community organisations, including trans groups, and experts from the United Nations, were consulted before reaching this decision.

Last year, Swimming's world governing body, World Aquatics, in a similar move had barred transgender women who had experienced any part of male puberty from entering the elite competition. The decision as per AFP came after a scientific panel found that in spite of reducing testosterone levels via medication, trans women still wielded a significant advantage over female athletes.

(With inputs from agencies)

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