Did Caster Semenya Know that She Was Intersex?

south african runner caster semenya

It has been reported that Caster Semenya is a "hermaphrodite." The South African runner thoroughly dominated her opponents in recent races, and because of her masculine appearance, she was forced to submit to a battery of gender tests. According to the Times of London, "the 18-year-old had internal testes and no womb or ovaries." They also note that the situation is delicate for the athletic association brass because of Semenya's high profile.

But they fail to mention how delicate the situation must be for Semenya herself. Did she know she was intersex before she was forced to submit to these tests? Pap smears are rare in South Africa, and Semenya is only 18, so it's unclear how thorough her doctor's appointments would have been in her youth. If she really did find out because of this investigation, how awful to experience the revelation in front of an international audience.

Photograph of Caster Semenya by Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images.

Comments

Re: Did Caster Semenya Know that She Was Intersex?

By: JoelH | Wed, 09/16/2009 - 02:54

I think Caster Semenya also has the right to privacy like any other persons. If ever she would knew about it, the feelings would never be that good. Imagine if anyone of us would discover that we are both male and female. Well – perhaps after the Caster Semenya magazine cover the debate should be over. The Caster Semenya magazine cover certainly has let people see her with a makeover, and she appears very feminine. However, according to rumor, a leak of the gender test results the South African sprinter had to undertake revealed that she is a hermaphrodite. True hermaphroditism is when an organism has both male and female reproductive features and organs. In humans, there are numerous ways in which some form of sexual diffusion can occur, some relatively benign, and some crippling. Either way, the Caster Semenya magazine cover might lead some to think that online payday loans towards finding her gender might be ill spent.

unfair treatment

By: RachelJozi | Fri, 09/11/2009 - 08:49

I'm sure she didn't know she was intersex, if differences were noticed it was probably something that was completely taboo to discuss, since SA society, especially traditional rural communities, is pretty conservative about such matters; likewise it was unlikely in her home situation in a rural village that she would have been taken to have late or non-existent menstruation discussed, given the limited access to medical care.
The IAAF and especially the SA athletics body have dealt with Semenya in an unbelievably cruel and incompetent way.
Lastly, isn't it the case that all (or most?) top athletes have some natural differences in their physical make-up (whether it's more testosterone, or bigger feet and an unusual arm span relative to body height) that gives them the edge in athletic competition?

it's got to be painful, especially being so public

By: you know it is | Thu, 09/10/2009 - 16:58

It must be painful for her. She has my sympathy.

I doubt she knew beforehand; if so, then she would have been cheating. Nothing about it has a whiff of intentional cheating. I think that an unwitting undiscovered intersex condition is overwhelmingly more likely.

Caster Semenya was familiar with having to perform gender verification tests in the form of visual inspections of genitalia (or so I read). However, I would not be surprised in the least if she was completely unaware such things as intersex conditions existed. Apparently (again, so I read...) her coach told her that the testing was for something else (a drug test?) rather than for an intersex condition.

If I recall correctly, the last high profile female athlete to be disqualified in such a manner was devastated.

( CNN: "[...]Indian athlete Santhi Soundarajan, who failed a gender test at the 2006 Asian games and was stripped of her medal. She later attempted suicide, survived and recently announced she was becoming a coach."

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/20/gender.athlete.intersex/index.html )

Since she is 18 and has never

By: adina | Thu, 09/10/2009 - 16:41

Since she is 18 and has never menstruated, it would be sensible for her or her caregivers to consider a physical anomaly as a possible cause. Even though athletes often go through menarche at a relatively late age, it would be reasonable, by age 18, to at least get it checked out.