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“Damned If You Do, Doomed If You Don’t”: A Socio-Medical Commentary on “Of Athletes, Bodies and Rules: Making Sense of Caster Semenya”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2022

Bryan Holtzman  and
Kathryn E. Ackerman
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Abstract

As medical professionals, we outline the science underlying disorders or differences of sexual development (DSD), discuss the nuances of sex and gender and how terminology can differ based on medical vs. non-medical context, briefly review the evidence of the ergogenic effects of hyperandrogenism, and discuss the medical complications with the hormonal contraceptive use currently dictated by World Athletics to allow DSD athletes to compete in the female category.

Keywords

Disorders of Sexual DevelopmentSex TestingTrack and Field
Type
Independent Articles: Commentary
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 49 , Issue 4: First Amendment Values in Health Care , Winter 2021 , pp. 661 - 665
Copyright
© 2021 The Author(s)

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