“Nevertheless, a 2005 study found that nearly 80 percent of animal pain studies published in recent years had used only males.” ― Maya Dusenbery

The above statement touches the topic which stayed forbidden for ages: Gender Bias in Medical Research. It is speculative, yet a harsh reality. Females were described as the inverse of males by the philosopher Aristotle; the anatomy of men and women is drawn differently by nature and will show different reactions to any situation from psychological to physical. Early researchers were unfamiliar towards these differences and the misconception and myths around didn’t let them think objectively. As a result, for numerous reasons, most of which still stay unjustified, women were excluded from medical/clinical research.

Consequences of Gender Bias

• Healthcare professional and researchers know less about the female body as compared to men because the body of women was not given a chance
• Women receive delayed diagnosis as their symptoms were not understood easily by doctors. For example, coronary artery disease was as much prevalent in females, but all the understanding and treatments spoke about men
• Women were treated with antidepressants before analgesics and the severity of chronic pain was ignored in earlier days
•  The increase in gender bias led to incomplete medical communication about diseases and treatment options
• Improper health facilities for transgenders
• Critical diseases like breast cancer and cervical cancer were often neglected because there were the least evidence-based studies for a long time
• Greater health risks in women from sides effects of drugs due to inadequate clinical data; again, circling back to the smaller participation of women in clinical trials

Bringing a Change

Medicine cannot afford anything, but to be gender neutral. This war of misdiagnosis and mistreatment, although much milder now, still has a long way to go to cease. In 2016, the NIH took a decision that any fund granted should include female animals also. Undoubtedly, medical research is breaking the laws of gender bias by broadening the subject matter with increased awareness and discernment. Time to unlearn; time to smash the myths and taboos woven; time to make new stories by marrying science to ethics. In this era, Doctors, and healthcare system demand transparency before prescribing any product to patient. The vision and technology are bringing the desired change.

Turacoz has raised a flag against gender bias in any form. Being a medical communication agency with more than 75% women employees, Turacoz breathes the rationale of gender-equality. Responsibility of communicating science and medicine in the benefit of humankind requires nothing less than a complete picture of gender-bridged scientific data.