In early May this year, attention was drawn to one of the frequently overlooked areas of life where women still face injustice. Within biomedical research, as well as general health awareness, women across the globe have been receiving the short end of the stick.
It recently broke that labs across North America have only been running tests on male rodents. The explanation for the discrepancy in gender representation was that researchers were worried that the reproductive cycles and hormones of female test subjects could cause differing results. According to the New York Times, clinical trials carried out by manufacturers still underrepresented women in their research.
I am fairly certain that for every female rat experiencing varying hormones from their male counterparts, there is a human woman experiencing differences as well. The contradictory logic tells us that women have not been receiving the care and attention they deserve, but are rather, as Jill Becker of the University of Michigan puts it, “simply a variation on a theme.”
Women also face frequent discrimination in terms of heart health: they are largely misdiagnosed when going into cardiac arrest, either by healthcare professionals or themselves. This is primarily due to a lack of knowledge about their different symptoms when having a heart attack.
Our society has come a long way in terms of equality, but there is still work to be done.
The classic Hollywood scene in which one drops a glass and grabs their chest before falling to the floor is a male-specific depiction of cardiac arrest. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, many women have a less dramatic experience, with little chest pressure, but often with nausea and shortness of breath instead.
Misconceptions in health should not be taken lightly. To protect women’s health there needs to be more recognition of the facts. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), heart disease kills five times as many women than breast cancer. Yet breast cancer research receives approximately $500 million more in funding, because breast cancer is depicted as a greater threat to women.
In today’s world, gender bias can be hard to identify because of how far our society has come in terms of equality. But the truth is there is still more work to be done. Misdiagnoses and unforeseen side effects are dangerous to the long term and immediate health of women.
Women are not simply a variation of men. Research needs to include all the variables, including gender.
