South African Runner Caster Semenya Says She Was Insisted To Undergo Sex Tests To Prove She Was Female When She Was 18
Eyebrows get raised whenever a female athlete has a muscular physique and outshines her performance on the track. People question how can she be a woman and be this strong? If she possesses such innate strength she must either be taking drugs or biologically be a man. It is honestly surprising how even today, strength is associated with a man. Recently, South African runner Caster Semenya faced a similar crisis where the sports officials had asked her to undergo sex tests to prove that she is a woman.
Caster Semenya Asked To Prove She Is A Woman
Caster Semenya has not had it easy since she was an 18-year-old new runner. She had won the 800-meter title in the 2009 world championship in Berlin but instead of her win bringing her glory, it caused her to prove that she was a woman. After the win, she was asked to undergo sex tests. As per reports, Caster has said that the sports officials had thought that she probably had a penis.
View this post on Instagram
She also went on to say that she also had offered to show the officials her vagina as proof that she is indeed a woman. Caster was kept on medication that would decrease her biologically high testosterone. Recalling the side effects of the same, she said that she had gained weight and also trigger panic attacks. She was also under constant fear that she might have a heart attack at any time.
View this post on Instagram
Also read: Alyssa Healy And Mitchell Starc Are A Sports Power Couple After Both Set Records In Australian Cricket
Bollywood film Rashmi Rocket starring Taapsee Pannu also brings to light the issue of sportswomen born with hyperandrogenism, and high levels of testosterone, which caused them to undergo sex tests to prove they were women.
