Comments on: Cast into controversy: the dilemma of Caster Semenya

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:02:00 +0000

““Sex” is biological – as a rule, if an individual has two X chromosomes, she is biologically female; if an X and a Y chromosome, he is male.”

The dilemma is that this only is a definition – a definition based on an ideology of sex as a single line between male and female. But in reality there are more than chromosomes. There are hormones, genitals, ovaries, gonads, body shape, brain… and every of these biological factors can develop intepentently from the other. Biological sex is multi-dimensional. And so if you believe that xx means female and xy means male you believe in a wrong definition of biology. And that’s the problem in accepting diversity.

By: pinky

pinky — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:20:54 +0000

let’s jus pray that these people suspecting the worst for south africa doesn’t burn in hell.there is this kind of saying”a black man is always a suspect”by the pain that my sister Caster has experienced, i can fully withness that by saying that just because Caster was a black lady from south africa and so that is why she was suspected of cheating with his gender.

By: pinky

pinky — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:41:57 +0000

let’s jus pray that these people suspecting the worst for south africa doesn’ burn in hell.there is this kind of saying”a black man is always a suspect”by the pain that my sister Caster has experienced, i can fully withness thatby saying that just because Caster was a black lady from south africa and so that is why she was suspected of cheating with his gender.

By: Catherine Lediga

Catherine Lediga — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:23:15 +0000

Is been enough now talking about Caster ,give her what belong to her and what she work for .She deserve to get a medal together with the money that she run for .

By: Aabaakawad

Aabaakawad — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:02:23 +0000

Apparently she has Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. People with AIS have XY chromosomes and as much testosterone as a normal male, but have either completely or partially disabled androgen (testosterone) receptors in the body.

If a person has complete AIS (CAIS), she will not masculinize at all despite the testosterone in her body. In fact, steroid abuse will have no effect on such women. These women often have ultra-feminine bodies, because they don’t have any response to testosterone, while normal XX females produce and respond to small amounts of testosterone. Hand size, foot size, and height will resemble male relatives. But muscle mass, external genitalia, breasts, pelvis, sexual function & response, and all secondary sexual characteristics will resemble female relatives. There will be internal testes, but no ovaries or uterus, hence no menstruation or fertility. Most sports associations recognize CAIS athletes as female.

Much more complex is a person with partial AIS (PAIS). Depending on how weakly they respond to testosterone, such people may be anywhere on the spectrum of intersex between CAIS female and normal fertile XY male. Semenya seems to be somewhere near the female end of this intersex spectrum, but probably with enough maleness to disqualify her. Perhaps she can compete if treated with testosterone inhibitors and estrogen. Although she had to notice that she never menstruated, likely neither she nor her coaches understood she was intersexual.

It’s very sad that all this had to play out so publicly.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:08:33 +0000

This is really a tough situation. I believe she ran an honest race but I find myself asking how I would feel if 1000 years from now, every female sport record was held by a pseudohermaphrodites. If a very tall woman was born of the same condition, she would completely dominate basketball. Same with most every other physical sport. It’s hard to say what is right or wrong.

By: Carol Wessels

Carol Wessels — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:15:03 +0000

Well at last a journalist who sees it as it is. There is a biblical saying “There but for the grace of God” Whether the rumours are true or not about “her condition” not important. She did not create herself and was brought up as a woman and lived as a woman – because that is what her outward appearance showed. She is from a rural background where even running water and electricity are “modern” now people are suggesting her family should have known from a young age she was different – how – rush off and lets x-ray her – (this is a third world country)It did not even enter her parents mind because they had never even heard of “hermaphrodite” etc. The Australian press should look to the way they handled this and the journalist who suggests “that this fell into his lap” should take a deep breath and hope none of his family are humiliated like this “ever” esecially his young children. The old adage “you reap what you sow”

Compassion should have entered this foray long ago after all Caster is a young girl with a lot of talent who has had it destroyed by the pen – sad world when for the sake of journalism a young persons dreams are destroyed for the sake of sensationalism and money. I hope that journalist can live with the consequences