In clinical studies, especially in the early stages, women are still significantly underrepresented than men. Data is often not properly analyzed.
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The reasons for excluding women from research were not usually simple or malicious. They often stemmed from concerns about safety, methodological clarity, and managing biological complexity in the study. PHOTO: Shutterstock
Modern science is based on data. The data collected in the research is a reflection of the questions or hypotheses that we put forward with the research. Based on the research question, we select a representative sample – a part of the population that should show the characteristics of the entire group that we want to study. Nevertheless, we often overlook the fact that many scientific findings, obtained mainly on men, formally apply mainly to the male population, but in practice they are generalized to all people, including women. We spoke to three female researchers at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam about the inclusion of female research models in laboratory studies. The reasons for excluding women from research were not usually simple or malicious. They often stemmed from concerns about safety, methodologically…
