Why is this an Issue?

What are the arguments for and against trans women in sports?

What are the arguments for and against testing women athletes' testosterone levels?

Arguments for trans women in sports

Joanna Harper, a medical physicist at Loughborough University in the UK explained that there is no such thing as 100% fairness in sport. "There are athletes who are gifted by nature, and you know, is it fair for less gifted athletes to have to face those? Trans women as a population group are taller, bigger, and in an absolute sense stronger than cis women. However, after going through hormone therapy, trans women are now moving their bodies with reduced aerobic capacity, reduced muscle mass." This can lead to disadvantages in terms of speed, recovery, and endurance. (DW)

After two years of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), trans women showed little to no advantage over cis women in tests like running more than a mile or number of sit-ups. By four years on GAHT, performance differences in studied metrics tend to disappear. Some areas suggest worse performance: lung function, efficiency of breathing, and fitness when normalised to body size. In one study of national-level volleyball players, athletic trans women performed similarly to cis women (but below cis men) across multiple physical metrics. (Trans Health Research)

Arguments against trans women in sports

Ross Tucker, a sports scientist says the physiological differences established during puberty can create significant performance advantages (between men and women). "The point of the women's category is to exclude male advantage, which comes as a result of testosterone. Until it can be shown that that advantage doesn't persist or exist in trans women, then I would say that there's no basis to allow trans women in." (BBC Sport)

Arguments for testing women athletes' testosterone levels

As of March 26, 2025, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) faced significant pressure to adopt a testosterone testing policy for female athletes. Those in favor of this policy argue that testing for testosterone levels can help with maintaining fairness and preventing an athlete with elevated testosterone from dominating the field. The test consists of a cheek swab for female athletes, emphasizing an equal chance during competitions rather than relying on biological advantages. (US Newspaper)

World Athletics, the international body governing athletics competitions, approved a new version of its “Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification” on March 23, 2023. The new rules, which go into force on March 31, require women with higher than typical testosterone, and certain diagnoses of variations in their sex characteristics and hormonal sensitivity to go through medical procedures to reduce their testosterone levels to 2.5 nanomoles/liter for 24 months to be eligible to compete as women in any athletics event. Women perceived to be “too masculine” may become targets of suspicion and gossip and may be forced to end their athletic careers prematurely. The standards of femininity applied are often deeply racially biased, research has found. (Human Rights Watch)

Arguments against testing women athletes' testosterone levels

Many are against the policy of testing women athletes. The main argument is that it is invasive and could come with potential human rights violations. Another argument is that the testing could lead to unnecessary scrutiny and pressure on athletes with differences in sex development (DSDs) because of the medical interventions, especially if they are already facing other challenges in the sports world. (US Newspaper)

An athlete’s performance doesn’t solely depend on [testosterone]. Studies have been conducted that show that factors like genetics, training, diet, and environment play significant roles in their performance. There are arguments that testosterone plays a different role in the performance of each individual. Hence, there is a huge contention about it being used as the sole determinant to determine whether female athletes are eligible to participate in a sport. If looked at through the legal lens, then the policies surrounding such cases could be treated as arbitrary and often create an environment for discrimination and exclusion. (Jus Corpus Law Journal)

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