Man or Woman: What Defines Us?
Perhaps the most basic way to categorize a person is to separate male from female. At first glance, the differences are so obvious it’s like separating night and day. We like to think that science has made it easy; girls have XX chromosomes and boys have XY chromosomes. Every now and then though a case like Caster Semenya’s causes us to rethink the facts we take for granted. Semenya was a virtually unknown 18 year old South African athlete. That all changed on July 30 when she won the African Junior Championships, clocking in at an astonishing 1:56.72. This was a breaking record, making her the fastest 800 meter runner of the year. She then broke another record for her senior championship marathon run.
These records were amazing – so amazing that people questioned whether she was really a he after all. They pointed at her deep voice, her muscular physique, her strong masculine features. She was banned from using the female restroom after complains from other women. Yet her family continued to deny the outrageous allegations, calling her “my little girl.”
Officials have given her the benefit of the doubt because even though there is speculation, there is no hard evidence proving that she is a man. Semenya will be going through extensive gender tests. This means examinations inside and out from gynecologists to psychologists to endocrinologists.
“It’s a medical issue. It’s not an issue of cheating,” said public relations director Nick Davies.
What exactly are some medical issues that cause ambiguous gender (or other issues)?
Ambiguous Genitalia- This is a birth defect where the outer appearance of what identifies infants does not appear male or female. This could mean that a typical XX female could have a clitoris that looks like a small penis or a typical XY male with undescended testes and a small penis that looks like an inflamed clitoris.
Androgen Insensitivity- This condition is caused by a gene mutation. The person has a curvy female appearance on the outside but inside the abdominal cavity there are testes instead of ovaries.
Turner Syndrome – Girls with Turner Syndrome have only one X chromosome, signified by XO. The ovaries and uterus are small and undeveloped. Many do not go through puberty, but some have given birth using donor eggs.
Klinefelter Syndrome – Males with this syndrome have extra X chromosomes in addition to a Y chromosome. Affected males have no facial hair and have underdeveloped testes. There may be female traits such as breast development. They also have very long arms and legs.
Poly-X Females – This condition, also known as a superfemale, occurs when there is a third extra X chromosome. There are no extraordinary features except that the girl may be tall and thin.
Jacob’s Syndrome –Males that have Jacob’s syndrome are known as supermales because they have an extra Y chromosome. They may be taller and have reading and speech problems. It was once suggested that XYY males are more likely to land in prison, but this later got proven false.
What if something is found to be “wrong” with Semenya? What is she is slapped with the man label and banned from running for the champs? This means that society has said that a person has to pass three tests before they are determined male or female. They need to look it. They need to have the right internal machinery. And on top of that, they need to live it. Strong female athletes may not cut it.