Under-representation of women in research: a status quo that is a scandal

Among the failings of medical research, the under-representation of women and ethnic minorities in clinical studies is nothing short of a scandal. In 1994 the US National Institutes of Health made it mandatory for government funded research to include both these groups. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Research issued guidance on sex and gender in 2020. Yet, despite these and other requirements, increased awareness, and numerous pledges, progress is unacceptably slow.Sidelining women reduces the wider applicability of research findings, because biological characteristics may influence disease presentation, pathophysiology, and responses to treatment (doi:10.1136/bmj.p845).1 By some estimates only 5-14% of studies across disciplines examine outcomes by sex (doi:10.1136/bmj.p1303).2 Gender matters too. How people identify themselves, for instance, may affect access to healthcare, clinical assessment, and decision making. A sensible and equitable research agenda, therefore, considers both sex and gender in study design and analysis.Taking the example of cardiovascular research,…
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