RIP to women’s research, 1990-2025.
Although you were only active for a handful of years, compared to all the research that has been done on men (cough, cough, erectile dysfunction), you will be missed.
I realize that it wasn’t until the early 2020s that period products such as tampons and pads were even tested using human blood, but you taught us so much.
I realize that it was until 2013 that the first woman crash test dummy was made and used in crash tests, but for a brief moment the world realized that women are not just small men.
Some other things you’ve given the people with the female parts were life changing and life saving. I am writing about the BRCA and BRCA1 gene research that showed that some breast cancers are linked to uterine and ovarian cancers. This was in 1998. This led to identifying possible antibody treatments for those cancers.
I put 1990 as your birthday because that is when it became law that women and minorities are to be included in all clinical research. Before that, the NIH guidelines for inclusion of women were not included in research, although the policy had been changed in 1989. The inclusion of women and minorities in research allows the analysis of if the variables being studied affect women and minorities in a different way than other (male) participants. Programs were initiated to recruit and retain women for clinical trials.
I further realize that in 2001 the Institute of Medicine published “Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter”. In this paper, the researchers examined biology from the cellular level up and concluded that the different hormones of the different genders DID impact medication response. We, as women, knew that of course there was a difference but the pharmacology companies didn’t even bother to research that until the late 1990s.
Say it with me, women are not just small men.
I realize that women are mysterious and “icky” to those in power. And worth only the output of our uterus. Why should they bother to test medications and tests and everything else with the lens that female and male are not the same? You taught them differently.
I put 2025 as your ending date because, well, we all know what is happening on the U.S. Federal level. With their pushback of all things gender and race that are not white and male.
Why? Hell if I know. Female are icky.
But research into gender disparities and racial disparities have been under attack since January 20, 2025. We all know what happened that day.
Since January, according to an article in the Atlantic, hundreds of research studies into health disparities and transgender health had their granted grant money yanked away from them. The agency officials who supported these research studies have suddenly lost their jobs.
With the new NIH Director the phrase of the day, the phrase that will guide research is “scientifically justified”.
What the hell does that mean?
Again, hell if I know. But I think it means whatever the hell will allow them to change focus on research. No longer will females and racial issue apply to their new male centered, white centered research focus.
Because after all, men are the most important gender/sex there is. Except if it was assigned female at birth. And white men are the most extra special of all.
With a cherry on top! And topless women to bathe them.
eye roll
RIP to the U.S. research focus on women’s body and racial disparities.
We hardly knew you.
May the future be bright. May the other half of this country wake up from the spell it is under and realize that this is stupid.
May other countries fly your flag proudly.
If you need me, I’m going to be listening to the No Cure For Cancer comedy album by Dr. Denis Leary.
And considering if this new hellscape of research has room for me. I know, probably not because I am a female and I have ideas.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 