Comment regarding boxing - June 2025
We note that World Boxing has introduced a mandatory sex testing requirement prior to a tournament in which Olympic gold medal winner Imane Khelif had been due to participate.
We have no information about the sex development pathway of Imane Khelif. We regret that World Boxing felt it necessary to name the athlete when introducing its policy, in doing so running the risk of sensationalising complex and sensitive issues and of causing unwarranted harm.
We do know that if Imane Khelif were a British citizen, then according to the recent UK Supreme Court ruling, her biological sex is that of a female.
We urge all commentators to adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Anyone wishing to comment on Imane Khelif’s biological pathway could describe the athlete as ‘a female athlete widely assumed to have an unspecified advantage.’
We ask all commentators to consider the impact of the words they use on the wider, already marginalised population of children, young adults and adults living with DSD.
We invite you to join us to find a way forward that combines evidence with dignity for all.
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Comment on the Supreme Court ruling from dsdfamilies - May 2025
We have received various questions about the April 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling and the potential impact on people with differences of sex development (DSD).
The law recognises the complexity of biological sex for babies, children and adults who are born with DSD. We are satisfied that sufficient DSD-specific provisions are available which this ruling does not affect. Read and/or download our full comment at the page: latest news/supreme court ruling.
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dsdfamilies trustee Jo Williams held a key-note speech at the joint DSD Workgroup Meeting of the European Pediatric and Adult Endocrinologists (ESPE/ESE) in Denmark in May 2025. Jo talked about the need to provide psychosocial support at key stages of development. Jo "The most common question that I was asked after my presentation was, 'how do you talk to children and young people about their diagnosis?'. And it made me think that there is so much more work needed, to support families as dsdfamilies already does, but also to support clinicians to have these discussions."
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World Athletics asked dsdfamilies to provide a key stakeholder response to their consultation (10 February to 5 March 2025) on eligibility in elite female sports.
Alongside other families, girls and adult women with 46, XY DSD, and professionals in this field, we are deeply concerned about inaccurate information and media coverage on this topic, which at times has become increasingly undignified. It seems that few people recognize the impact this has on ordinary women, girls, and their families.
In our response to the consultation we strongly object to the proposed combination of DSD regulations and transgender regulations. This represents a category error that could cause harm by conflating two distinct populations. While there may be a need for rules, these rules must be tailored to suit different circumstances and populations.
In addition to the risk of harm, this conflation also threatens to hinder public understanding of eligibility criteria and the research required to support sound policies.
We understand that World Athletics aims for a "strictly biological" approach with a focus on "sports only", but sport - by virtue of the global popularity and resonance of sporting competition - does not exist in isolation. Indeed, World Athletics "landmark social responsibility programme" -"Athletics for a Better World" (ABW) recognises the organisation's global responsibility and platform.
We understand that World Athletics is seeking a way forward, and we genuinely are grateful to have been asked to reflect and share the real-life consequences of these proposals. We very much hope that WA's engagement with DSD athletes and related stakeholders such as dsdfamilies and medical professionals will not stop here.
We also want to draw attention to the response submitted by the Australian and New Zealand Pediatric Endo Society.
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We're very pleased to share our recently developed Notepad resource created to be used in clinic to support young people asking any questions they may have.
The resource has 5 elements, the Notepad itself, plus 4 supporting resources.
It was designed to equip young people with tools to ask the questions they really have. The questions were developed by young people living with DSD working with dsdfamilies. They are intended to start a conversation – and to encourage young people to voice their own concerns. We know from research that young people attending a DSD clinic do not often get the chance to ask questions that matter to them. The Notepad is an attempt to improve this experience through a set of practical tools.
Find out more about the project and download the resources from the Notepad resource page.
This project was only possible through the valuable input and efforts of Gabrielle, Esme, Jo, Claire, Nina Callens, Dr Cara Williams, Caroline Sanders, Ellie Magritte and Megan Usipuik.
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You can reach dsdfamilies via by email at info@dsdfamilies.org
We are a very small team but we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We welcome enquiries from families and young people about peer support, from healthcare professionals around best care, and from media and third parties, especially those who have contact with children and young people with DSD, regarding training around differences of sex development.
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Funding support
dsdfamilies need funding to have the capacity to plan family days; (online, face-to-face, local, regional) to develop resources; maintain the website and develop further. As an organisation we are applying to funding bodies but we also know that many other charities rely on 'marathon and skydiving events' that their supporters take part in. That is not something we feel free to do as parents/families of children with different sex development!
However, if you wish to support us, here's a small way to do it. By going through this link, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your Amazon purchases to dsdfamilies. It's not a lot, but bit by bit, it can add up, and it's totally annonymous.
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dsdfamilies helps to run 2 welcoming Facebook groups to help families connect. One is for parents of boys who were born with peno-scrotal hypospadias due to an underlying DSD. The other is for parents of girls with XY. Our objective is to make sure you are equipped to support your growing child - whatever their age.
Parents often look for advice on talking to their children about how their body is developing, why they go and see doctors, or on how to walk the line between openness and privacy. All parents want to raise confident, happy and resilient young adults. We hope these groups can be your safe space to ask any question you may have, and become a place where you can learn, chat, meet other families, share your parenting successes and, over time, help support those who are a little behind you on the journey.
The groups are administrated by dsdfamilies trustee Jo, who lives with a DSD, is a mum and also an NHS healthcare professional. She will be the first person you connect with when requesting to join. Since mid 2024, we are running regular parents online hangout sessions, providing an informal space to connect and share with other parents. Information about these session is posted via the FB groups.
How to join?
Our FB groups are private. This means you can find the group by searching Facebook, but membership is private and a non-member cannot view members. You can join by searching for the title of the group: 'Parents of boys with DSD & Peno-Scrotal Hypospadias' or click here, and 'Parents of XY girls' can click here.
If you would like to connect with other families or join the parents hangout, please join our private FB groups or write to us at: info@dsdfamilies.org
