Testosterone testing and gender equality in Olympic athletics

Athletics

Macur points out that the IOC recently decided to use testosterone testing to determine whether an individual entering a competitive event can compete as a woman. Several political and ethical issues are raised as a result of this decision, including the right to privacy and what constitutes a fair competition. As Macur notes, using testosterone as the benchmark for determining gender can be problematic. This is because "the upper range of a woman's testosterone level and the lower range of a man's do not overlap, and between them is 'a huge no man's land,'" (p. 2). Thus, a woman with highly elevated testosterone enters this "no man's land," or "no woman's land," and is disqualified from competing. This entails outright discrimination against individuals who do not conform to set standards of what it means to be biologically male or female. Even intersex conditions, which create elevated testosterone levels for a person with female reproductive organs, do not necessarily entail that the person's testosterone levels will enter the man's range (Macur).

Whether the Olympics should have separate competitions for men and women is another issue altogether. It has been determined, if not assumed, that men have a biological advantage over women in most athletic events. This biological advantage would preclude most if not all women from being able to medal in any of their chosen events. Therefore, separate gender categories are necessary in the same way that boxing segregates competitors according to their weight classes.