JOIN USIn a bid to help female athletes in dealing with hyperandrogenism, the Union Sports Ministry has set up Standard Operative Procedure (SOP) for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the National Sports Federations (NSF) to appoint female nodal officers.
The ministry in a statement released on Wednesday said that it has asked the states, union territories, SAI and NSFs to “designate one female nodal officer and one female alternate nodal officer for dealing with the matter.”
“There will be only one set of nodal and alternate nodal officers of SAI and NSF each in all the states. The alternate nodal officer will act as a nodal officer in absence of the nodal officer of the respective organisation.
“It will be the responsobilities of these officers to carry out the investigation process in most confidential manner and involving minimum number of people,” the ministry said in the statement.
The ministry said medical investigation of female sportspersons must be carried out only when the sportsperson herself makes a request; on the request of SAI medical officer or the concerned NSFs, which may have doubts; on the basis of a written complaint by a complainant detailing the basis of doubts.
The medical examination must be carried out by a female doctor taking care of the privacy of the sportsperson and will include external genital examination. The doctor can be assisted by a female nurse if needed.
But in cases where an external genital examination is not conclusive, the doctor can examine, undescended testis, hypospadias, clitoromegaly, inguinal hernia in females (unilateral or bilateral), single perineal opening, lack of pubic hair and absence of secondary sexual characteristic like breast development.
In case, the serum testosterone level is higher than 2ng/ml, the matter should be referred to a medical panel constituted by SAI.