Is

Needless to say, and in my personal opinion a fair comment is that South Africa reacted angrily today to world champion runner Miss. Caster Semenya's test results that found she was a hermaphrodite – Outspoken South African sports minister Makhenkesi Stofile threatened a "third world war" over the affair.

Following Miss. Semenya's victory at the 2009 World Championships, questions were raised about her gender. Miss Semenya stated she was unconcerned about the rumors or the verification and that she considered boycotting the medal ceremony as a result.

First, one of her South African coaches quit the team in shame for not telling Miss. Semenya that she was being subjected to gender tests. (Semenya had thought she was taking a doping test.) Then, Semenya appeared on the cover of South Africa's You magazine with a complete makeover designed to silence critics who insist she is a man.

For the shoot Miss. Semenya sported a less ambiguous hair style, a designer black dress, jewellery, makeup and nail polish. Despite what you think about the whole situation, it's safe to say that this is the first time that Miss.Semenya has truly looked like an 18-year old woman.

The IAAF's handling of the case has spurred many negative reactions. A number of athletes, including retired sprinter Michael Johnson, have criticized the organization for its response to the incident. Prominent South African civic leaders, commentators, politicians, and activists have characterized the controversy as racist, as well as an affront to Miss.Semenya's privacy and human rights.

The IAAF said it only made the gender test public after it had already been reported in the media, denying charges of racism and expressing regret of "the allegations being made about the reasons for which these tests are being conducted.” The federation also explained that the motivation for the test was not suspected cheating but a desire to determine if she has a "rare medical condition" giving her an unfair competitive advantage.

The president of the IAAF stated that the case could have been handled with more sensitivity.

On 7 September 2009, Wilfred Daniels, a manager for middle distance, resigned. According to Daniels, he resigned because he and other officials failed to tell Semenya she was being subjected to tests to determine her sex.

Speaking about the gender row in an interview with the South African magazine YOU Miss. Semenya later said "I see it all as a joke, it doesn't upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself". Miss. Semenya also took part in a makeover with the magazine.

The coach who resigned wasn't Miss. Semenya's pesonal coach, but a middle distance supervisor on the South African team who was ashamed that Miss. Semenya was kept in the dark about the growing controversy. Wilfred Daniels said he was told the issue was supposed to stay private.

The Times reported IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss remarking that, "It is clear that she is a woman but maybe not 100 percent."

IAAF position: “Semenya will find out in November”…

First, the IAAF has announced that the results will be available in November only, because this is when they have an executive council meeting. According to Pierre Weiss, Secretary General of the IAAF, "there will be nothing before that".

President Jacob Zuma also hit back saying: "I don't know why we should not respect the privilege between the doctor and the patient.

"Why, when the tests have been done, why was it published?"

An IAAF source was quoted yesterday as saying: "There certainly is evidence now that Semenya is a hermaphrodite.

"But the trouble is the IAAF now have the whole ANC and the whole of South Africa on their backs.

"Everything is going to have to be done absolutely by the book, no question of a challenge to our findings.

"There are all sorts of scans you do. This is why it's complicated.

"In the past you used to do a gynaecological exam, blood test, and chromosome test, whatever.

"That's why the findings were challenged, because it's not quite so simple.

"So what they do now is they do everything, and then they can say look, not only has she got this, she's got that and the other.

"The problem for us is to avoid it being an issue now which is very personal: of the organs being a hermaphrodite, of not being a 'real' woman.

Two Australian newspapers reported Friday that gender tests show the world champion athlete has no ovaries or uterus and internal testes that produce large amounts of testosterone. The international sports federation that ordered the tests wouldn't confirm the reports.

GENDER SPECIALISTS SAY

As many as one in 3,000 are born with some kind of intersex disorder. "Some people are brought up as females even though they have no uterus or vagina. The sporting bodies don't have an agreed definition of sex. Cases like this may force them to define this particular issue."

Genetic testing of women over five Olympics found genetic gender issues in 27 out of 11,373 women tested, according to a 2000 Journal of the American Medical Association article. However, none were men deliberately posing as women, as competitors fear.

There are four ways of determining sex, according to a specialist of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The problem is that they can be at odds with one another. Chromosomal sex is defined by x and y chromosomes. The default position for mammals is that they will develop as females unless there is Y chromosome present. In one rare condition, androgen insensitivity syndrome, the body is insensitive to the male hormone and develops to become a woman.

The concern that women with XY chromosomes have a competitive advantage "is malarkey. We don't segregate athletes by height," said Genel, speaking from an international endocrinology conference in New York that has sessions on intersex issues.

"It's very complex area," said a consultant gynecologist. "The male hormone is what gives bulk to muscles and bones so they are at an advantage. I have seen pictures of this girl and she has no waist and very masculine musculature."