The Timaru Herald

Benefits of testostero­ne questioned

- Zoe¨ George zoe.george@stuff.co.nz

Sport New Zealand’s draft principles for transgende­r athletes describe research into the benefits of testostero­ne for transgende­r women athletes as ‘‘unsettled’’.

This statement runs counter to an open letter sent this week by more than 40 former Olympic and elite athletes to Minster of Sport Grant Robertson, asking for an extension to the guiding principles’ consultati­on period.

The letter, backed by Save Women’s Sport Australasi­a, said there was ‘‘unequivoca­l evidence’’ trans women had a ‘‘performanc­e advantage’’ over female competitor­s, even after hormonal interventi­on and ‘‘women’s rights have been disregarde­d in the draft principles’’.

Sport New Zealand has been working on the ‘‘complex issue’’ since November.

Draft guiding principles were sent out for further consultati­on in April and have been obtained by Stuff.

‘‘There is some research relating to the impact of testostero­ne on the sporting performanc­e of transgende­r women. The research is unsettled. There are a diverse and varied range of factors that impact on sporting ability and prowess,’’ the document said.

At an Olympic level, transgende­r athletes must have less than 10 nanomols of testostero­ne per litre of blood for at least 12 months before competitio­n. In French rugby, which recently allowed transgende­r athletes to participat­e in its women’s competitio­n, it’s five nanomols.

Former elite athlete Kristen Worley, a New Zealander based in Canada, has been working with the Internatio­nal Olympic Committee on its transgende­r guidelines for the past 18 months and is considered an expert in trans experience in sport. She said the reduction of hormones and ‘‘sex reassignme­nt’’ could have a ‘‘catastroph­ic impact’’ on the body of transgende­r people.

‘‘Under the current rules ... this is just above the level [of testostero­ne] where the body starts to fail. It’s like taking the gas out of the car,’’ she told Stuff.

‘‘There is this challenge with transgende­r individual­s ... because of where their hormone levels are, over several years there’s a decrease of their physiology. Someone, like in my case who has transition­ed ... it’s immediate. It’s a bottom line bail out because there are no hormones in my body.’’

She acknowledg­es the concerns of the former athletes, and said although Sport NZ had ‘‘good intentions’’, more work needed to be done on the ‘‘problemati­c’’ guidelines.

Professor Holly Thorpe, from School of Health at the University of Waikato, said there was more to the discussion than just testostero­ne.

‘‘To think about sex and gender solely in relation to one particular hormone is oversimpli­fying understand­ings of human bodies, performanc­es, and ethics.’’

Thorpe said many in the wider discussion were ‘‘cherry-picking’’ research that ‘‘centralise physiologi­cal interpreta­tions of testostero­ne, without considerin­g the ethical, social or political realities of sporting performanc­es’’.

‘‘Underpinni­ng such ‘science’, is the assumption that transgende­r athletes are trying to ‘cheat’ the system, and as such, I see such studies as being at risk of transphobi­a,’’ she said.

Robertson said: ‘‘I back Sport NZ in what they are doing because I believe sport is so intrinsic to who we are as people and I want everyone to have the chance to participat­e.’’

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from New Zealand