Transwomen in elite sport: scientific and ethical considerations

Abstract

The inclusion of elite transwomen athletes in sport is controversial. The recent International Olympic Committee (IOC) (2015) guidelines allow transwomen to compete in the women’s division if (amongst other things) their testosterone is held below 10 nmol/L. This is significantly higher than that of cis-women. Science demonstrates that high testosterone and other male physiology provides a performance advantage in sport suggesting that transwomen retain some of that advantage. To determine whether the advantage is unfair necessitates an ethical analysis of the principles of inclusion and fairness. Particularly important is whether the advantage held by transwomen is a tolerable or intolerable unfairness. We conclude that the advantage to transwomen afforded by the IOC guidelines is an intolerable unfairness. This does not mean transwomen should be excluded from elite sport but that the existing male/female categories in sport should be abandoned in favour of a more nuanced approach satisfying both inclusion and fairness.

Research gaps in medical treatment of transgender/nonbinary people

“…The first is the impact of existing total testosterone levels on specific athletic skills (107). The second is the impact of puberty on athletic skills, specifically the puberty changes, such as bone mass, that persist despite later hormone manipulation (108).…”

Transgender Athletes in Sports Competitions: How Policy Measures Can Be More Inclusive and Fairer to All

“…The most important parameters when assessing methods to improve current sports policies are determining how inclusive a policy is to transgender athletes and how fair it is to all athletes involved in competitions. Many suggest adding more categories under which athletes can compete (Knox et al, 2019 ), upholding inclusivity without compromising fairness. However, it is unclear how many categories would need to be added to accomplish this feat and if athletic organizations can financially support a large number of athletic categories competing under each sport.…”

When does an advantage become unfair? Empirical and normative concerns in Semenya’s case

“…However, this necessity is neither apparent nor indisputable as I among others have argued-it is a consequence of historical tradition and conventions in sport. The second solution (b), while presenting challenges of feasibility and applicability, is theoretically possible and has already been explored by many including Foddy and Savulescu, 28 Cooky and Dworkin, 29 Sudai, 30 Knox et al 31 and Bianchi. 32 Some of these scholars have gone to great lengths to suggest a feasible and practical application.…”