Everyone in our team ‘exposed their vagina’ to prove they are women: Ex-Sweden footballer Nilla Fischer

Nilla Fischer, who was part of the squad, has described the process which was conducted by a female physiotherapist on behalf of the doctor, as “humiliating”.

“We were told that we should not shave ‘down there’ in the coming days and that we will show our genitals for the doctor. No one understands the thing about shaving but we do as we are told and think ‘how did it get to this?’ Why are we forced to do this now, there has to be other ways to do this. Should we refuse?” Fischer, who is now 38-year-old, has written.

“At the same time no one wants to jeopardise the opportunity to play at a World Cup. We just have to get the shit done no matter how sick and humiliating it feels,” she added.

The gender tests were carried through the 2011 tournament in Germany amid protests from Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana after allegations that the Equatorial Guinea squad included men.

In an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Nilla Fischer, who played 194 times for her country, said, “I understand what I have to do and quickly pull down my training pants and underwear at the same time.

“The physio nods and says ‘yup’ and then looks out at the doctor who is standing with his back to my doorway. He makes a note and moves on in the corridor to knock on the next door.”

“When everyone on our team is checked, that is to say, has exposed their vagina, our team doctor can sign that the Swedish women’s national football team consists only of women,” adding, “We had a very safe environment in the team. So it was probably the best environment to do it in. But it’s an extremely strange situation and overall not a comfortable way to do it.”

Two weeks before the start 2011 Women’s Football World Cup began, Fifa issued its current gender recognition policies which require teams to sign a declaration guaranteeing that players chosen for the marquee event are “of an appropriate gender”

“It lies with each participating member association to … ensure the correct gender of all players by actively investigating any perceived deviation in secondary sex characteristic,” the policy states.