New Article on Mandatory Genetic Testing for Women Athletes

Andrew Sinclair, a member of the scientific advisory board of CRC 1665, recently published a critical analysis of the newly proposed mandatory genetic tests for women athletes by World Athletics. Sinclair is notably the scientist who discovered the relevant gene involved in sex development back in 1990, giving him unique expertise on the topic.

World Athletics asserts the SRY gene is a reliable proxy for determining biological sex. But biological sex is much more complex, with chromosomal, gonadal (testis/ovary), hormonal and secondary sex characteristics all playing a role.

He argues that biological sex is complex and cannot be reduced to a single gene or marker. The SRY gene, discovered in 1990, plays a key role in sex determination but does not capture the full spectrum of human sex development.

Thus, genetic testing alone does not provide a clear or fair criterion for determining who can compete as a woman in sports. Many intersex variations and variations of sex development exist, and these genetic variations often do not correlate straightforwardly with athletic performance. The policy risks unfairly excluding athletes based on outdated or overly simplistic scientific assumptions. 

The article calls for a reconsideration of policies that rely heavily on genetic testing for sex verification, urging sports governing bodies to adopt more nuanced, scientifically grounded, and ethically responsible approaches.

Link to the full article: https://theconversation.com/world-athletics-mandatory-genetic-test-for-women-athletes-is-misguided-i-should-know-i-discovered-the-relevant-gene-in-1990-262367