Consultation Underway on Changes to DSD and Transgender Guidelines
World Athletics is considering updates to its eligibility regulations for the elite female category, including the introduction of a cheek swab test as part of the verification process. The governing body has launched a consultation with athletes to assess the impact of potential changes to the current differences in sex development (DSD) and transgender guidelines.
This review, which began on Monday and runs until March 5, is focused solely on gathering athletes’ views regarding the proposed changes, without inviting alternative policy suggestions.
Key Proposed Changes
The recommendations include:
- Formally defining the female category
- Revising eligibility criteria
- Merging the DSD and transgender regulations
- Introducing a one-time pre-clearance requirement for all athletes in this category
According to the World Athletics consultation document, the proposed test will check for the SRY gene and, if necessary, testosterone levels, using either a cheek swab or dry blood spot analysis.
“The required test will be for the SRY gene and, if required, testosterone levels, either via cheek swab with any necessary follow-up or via dry blood spot analysis,” the document stated.
“In this context, the SRY gene, which is almost always on the Y chromosome, is used as a highly accurate proxy for biological sex but makes room for an additional diagnostic process at the athlete’s discretion.”
Scientific Basis for the Changes
Current rules require DSD athletes to lower their testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for at least six months before competing in female category events. Previously, this rule only applied to distances between 400 meters and one mile.
Additionally, changes to transgender eligibility rules in 2023 banned athletes who had undergone any part of male puberty from competing in the female category.
World Athletics stated that “new evidence clarifies that there is already an athletically significant performance gap before the onset of puberty.”
“The childhood or pre-pubertal performance gap in the sport of athletics specifically is three to five percent in running events, and higher in throwing and jumping events,” the document read.
“New evidence establishes that athletic disadvantages associated with female body structure and physiology contribute to the performance gap.”
Sebastian Coe on the Future of Eligibility Regulations
World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe emphasized the need for updated regulations based on new scientific findings.
“While our current eligibility regulations for DSD and transgender athletes are robust and based on the science available at the time of our last consultation, several scientific developments in this field have emerged since then,” Coe said.
“It is our role, as the global governing body for athletics, to ensure that our guidelines keep up with the latest information available to maintain a fair and level playing field in the female category.”
He added: “Preserving the integrity of competition in the female category is a fundamental principle of the sport of athletics, and we look forward to this collaborative consultation process with our key stakeholders in this area.”
A World Athletics Council meeting in March is expected to finalize when the new regulations could be implemented.
