Sex and gender influence the development of health conditions, the manifestation of symptoms, the effectiveness of treatments and overall clinical outcomes, yet remain overlooked by researchers and clinicians alike.
The medical evidence base relies on studies which are predominantly based on males – including cell lines, animals and people who participate in clinical trials – while females are under-represented.
The “male default”, where research is conducted primarily on one sex but generalised to the wider population, perpetuates subpar care and outcomes for all.
Throughout the life course, from girls less likely than their male peers to be diagnosed with autism, to the teenager who waits eight years for an endometriosis diagnosis, to the woman whose heart attack presentation is more likely to be misdiagnosed, to the elderly man living with frailty and osteoporosis, poor accounting of sex and gender impacts us all.
