SRY GENE SCREENING

NEWS: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a seismic policy change mandating SRY gene screening for all female athletes in international elite sports.

ABOUT

• SRY à‘Sex-determining Region Y’.
• It is a specific segment of DNA usually found on the Y chromosome.
• This gene acts as a biological master switch that triggers the development of testes and the production of male levels of testosterone, leading to male physical development.
• Developed By: The SRY gene was first discovered in 1990 by Professor Andrew Sinclair.
• Objectiveà to protect the female category in elite sports.
• The IOC aims to àensure that athletes competing in the female category do not have the physiological advantages associated with male puberty and male chromosomal development, such as increased bone density and explosive muscle power.

Key Features:

• Since the SRY gene is fixed at birthà the test is generally required only once in an athlete’s career.
• The IOC views the gene as aà highly accurate indicator of whether an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development.
• It applies only to elite-level international athletes (Olympics, World Championships) and not to grassroots or leisure sports.
• Athletes with specific conditions like Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS)—where the body cannot process testosterone—may still be eligible for the female category even if they are SRY-positive.
• Athletes can refuse the test, but refusal results in immediate disqualification from IOC-sanctioned events.