Report Urges Need to Close Research Gaps Affecting Women’s Health
News — A report issued by the presents a roadmap to enhance the inclusion of sex and gender considerations in research, strengthen adherence to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) "Sex as a Biological Variable" (SABV) policy, and improve health outcomes for women and girls. In “A New Vision for Women’s Health Research: Transformative Change at the National Institutes of Health,” researchers emphasize the urgent need for transformative action to close the persistent research gaps affecting women’s health.
Access the full report and supporting materials for free at
Medical sociologist , PhD, a long-time member of the (ASA), director of the Center for Health Equity Research, and the Sara Murray Jordan Professor of Medicine at Tufts University, served on the committee that produced the consensus report. Bird expressed surprise at the lack of research on subjects like typical female development and hormonal changes that occur throughout life.
“The more we learn about the tremendous gaps in the evidence base on women's health, the unmet need for effective prevention and treatment, and the scientific breakthroughs that have occurred out of starting to address these gaps, the harder it is to accept the inertia that has maintained the status quo,” Bird said. “Although women now enroll in clinical trials at rates comparable to men, sex-specific differences often remain unexplored, perpetuating gaps in knowledge and limiting advancements in precision medicine. The report highlights that integrating SABV and conducting dedicated sex-differences research are critical for addressing these disparities and improving equity in healthcare.”
Highlights from the report
- Closing Knowledge Gaps: Women and girls constitute over half of the U.S. population, yet research addressing diseases and conditions affecting them remains underfunded and understudied.
- Advancing SABV Policy: Established in 2016, the NIH’s SABV policy mandates consideration of biological sex in study design, analysis, and reporting. The report calls for broader implementation and adherence to this policy.
- Beyond Binary Definitions: The report emphasizes the need to consider sex and gender as complex, non-binary constructs, acknowledging the spectrum of variations in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry.
- Cost Efficiency and Research Impact: Incorporating SABV can improve study design, reduce the need for follow-up research, and maximize scientific yield, benefiting health outcomes for all.
Bird said she hoped the report would motivate change.
“Funders need to recognize that research on women’s health is both innovative and significant, rather than treating it as replication of settled science,” she said. “Fortunately, we have already demonstrated that this work will not only pay for itself, but it will also produce impressive returns on investment. What we can’t afford is to continue to do incomplete work. Operating with a minimal evidence base on women’s health is costing us trillions.”
About the American Sociological Association 
The American Sociological Association, founded in 1905, is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to serving sociologists in their work, advancing sociology as a science and profession, and promoting the contributions to and use of sociology by society.
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