18
February
2018
|
07:00 AM
America/New_York

Women At The Winter Olympics Have Always Had Fewer Chances To Compete, and Science Says That's Bunk

Newsweek reporter Sydney Pereira writes about the current gender inequality represented at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, with female athletes making up only 43 percent of all athletes in Pyeongchang.

According to the article, women's physical ability was historically questioned due to their reproductive system, even though there was no scientific evidence to support this. The article reported that one myth was that the women's uteruses would fall out from playing sports.

HSS physiatrist Ellen Casey, MD addressed the myth. "The uterus seems to have been brought up numerous times. There's really no evidence that the uterus itself is damaged from impact or running or anything like that."

Additionally, Dr. Casey explained that the idea that women aren't built for sports is unfounded.

"What history has shown us is that these limitations probably were not based on science, and there was a complete lack of research. Generally speaking, the limitations have proved to be unnecessary," said Dr. Casey.

She noted that there are gender differences rooted in biology, as men generally have larger bones and more muscle, while women have looser ligaments.

"It's amazing to me as a female physician in this day and age that this stuff was said without factual data, but I guess it was, and unfortunately that has been perpetuated for way longer than anyone would expect. Hopefully, as women continue to push boundaries as they have for decades, things will shift," Dr. Casey said.

Read the full article at newsweek.com.