World Athletics in July mandated that all athletes wishing to compete in the female category will have to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime SRY gene test, determining their biological sex. The test will be conducted via a cheek swab or blood test, whichever is more convenient. The international body has left the task to be completed by the national federations. In a statement on its website, it stated: "The World Athletics Council has approved new regulations concerning eligibility conditions to compete in the female category for world ranking competitions." The new regulations will come into effect on September 1 this year. The first event that will fall under the purview of this mandate is the World Athletics Championships, to be held in Tokyo from September 13. Also Read: Mondo Duplantis Rewrites History In The Sky, Sets Pole Vault World Record For The 13th Time Commenting on the new regulations and SRY test, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “The philosophy that we hold dear in World Athletics is the protection and the promotion of the integrity of women's sport. It is really important in a sport that is permanently trying to attract more women that they enter a sport believing there is no biological glass ceiling. The test to confirm biological sex is a very important step in ensuring this is the case.” The new regulations follow recommendations from the Gender Diverse Athlete Working Group approved by Council in March 2025. The Working Group spent over a year studying developments in law, science, sports, and society concerning gender-diverse athletes. What is the SRY gene? SRY stands for sex-determining region Y gene, and it is usually found on the Y chromosome. If a human embryo has XY chromosomes, then at six weeks of development the SRY gene triggers a cascade of events involving around 30 different genes that lead to the formation of testes. The testes then produce hormones including testosterone, leading to male development. Does it impact female athletes’ performance? Evidence shows that athletes who were born male and passed through male puberty generally have advantages over those born female (with XX chromosomes and no SRY gene). Additionally, females with higher circulating levels of testosterone may also have advantages in some sports. This has led to a drive to keep women’s sports reserved for “biological females.” Is the test an ethical way to determine whether an athlete is biologically female? Robin Lovell-Badge, principal group leader at the Francis Crick Institute in London, is of the view that the SRY gene test is too simplistic. “It only reveals whether the individual has the gene,” he was quoted as saying by health and medical science journal The BMJ. Robin also said that the test "might not reveal a small mutation in SRY or its regulatory region." "It does not necessarily indicate how male or female the individual might be without other tests," he added. “For an athlete, the most critical factor here is the effect of androgens on muscle and bone, but its production and action is rather a long way down the gene pathway from SRY activity," he explained further. Lovell-Badge noted that, while SRY is usually on the Y chromosome and while most XY individuals are male and most XX individuals are female, around 0.8 per cent of the population have atypical sex development (chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical), with one of a set of congenital conditions commonly referred to as differences of sex development (DSD). Is there any risk of false detection with SRY tests? World Athletics describes the test as “extremely accurate,” adding that “the risk of false negative or positive is extremely unlikely.” But Andrew Sinclair, who developed the SRY test in 1990 and has been researching the subject for the last 35 years, noted in his article for The Conversation that the tests were delicate. “If a male lab technician conducts the test, he can inadvertently contaminate it with a single skin cell and produce a false positive SRY result,” he wrote, adding that no guidance was given on how to conduct the test to reduce the risk of false results. Call for elimination of gender verification tests A group of professional societies and experts have called for the elimination of gender verification of female athletes, saying that the method was dubious. It was subsequently dropped for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. What happens if an athlete tests positive? Athletes who test positive will be allowed to compete in the female category in non-world ranking competitions or otherwise in a category other than female. They will also be able to seek another test or further assessment. World Athletics says that individuals who test positive for SRY but have complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and therefore have not gone through male sexual development, including any type of male puberty, will be allowed to compete. Is World Athletics the first international sports federation to use the test? No, World Athletics is not the first international sports body to adopt the test to determine the biological sex of female athletes. World Boxing approved the use of the SRY test most recently in May. In the past, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced the test in 1992. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, eight female participants from a total of 3,387 were found to have the SRY gene. But after further investigation, these athletes were all verified as female and allowed to compete. They were found to have either partial or full androgen insensitivity despite having an SRY gene. What is the status of the SRY test? Athletes in Canada alleged that the new gene tests they recently underwent do not comply with World Athletics' requirements. WA left the testing to be conducted by the respective national federations. In France, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sports ruled the test illegal in the country, forcing athletes to seek meets and camps outside their country to complete the one-off tests. What is the status of the SRY test in India? The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the member federation of World Athletics in India, has mandated SRY gene tests for all female athletes aiming to compete in September's World Championships in Tokyo. Also Read: India vs Pakistan Showdown Cancelled: Javelin Stars Neeraj, Arshad Pull Out Of Silesia Diamond League “All female athletes who meet the qualification standards for the World Athletics Championships should undergo the SRY gene test in consultation with the Athletics Federation of India,” AFI said in a communication to the athletes and coaches. “All concerned are requested to ensure compliance with the above requirement at the earliest, failing which the concerned athlete shall not be permitted to compete in the female category,” Shailesh Kumar, chairman of AFI’s medical commission, said in a letter. The AFI said all athletes have been informed that they will be tested at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in New Delhi, and the samples will be diagnosed in India.