Banda failed a ‘gender’ test with too much testosterone. That suggests (but does not confirm) that Banda has a DSD (disorder of sexual development). For example, some males are born with a 5α-Reductase 2 deficiency which means that their genitals don’t look male or are ambiguous when they are born. This is where the phrase ‘assigned male/female at birth’ comes from. In most countries the baby’s sex can quickly be determined by dna tests but in other countries in the past this wasn’t done and the baby was assigned a sex.
The problem sporting-wise with this is that a male with DSD will still have biological advantages over females. They will have XY chromosomes and their hips will move differently, their muscle pattern will be different and they have greater strength and flexibility. And of course don’t have period disadvantages. In terms of football we are learning that women are getting a lot more injuries due to their physiology.
It is incredibly difficult to get factual information about individual athletes but the gold, silver and bronze medal winners in the Rio Olympics for the Women’s 800m are famously known to have DSDs. It is widely reported they all have XY chromosomes. So no biological women with XX chromosomes were on the podium.
Theres lots of controversy about whether males with DSDs (that look like they have female genitals and maybe even raised as girls) should compete in women’s races. A journalist said sportswomen should be able to take testosterone so that they have the same levels. But that has been shown to have long term health problems as seen by the Eastern European women swimmers that cheated the system as it was years ago.
There are enormous problems talking about this. Anyone doing so is labelled unkind or transphobic. Many news stations you think could be impartial and report the scientific facts are very one sided (BBC is particularly bad). So no one hears the full picture.