25- RIP United States Women’s Research, 1990-2025

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.

Tuesday Top of Mind 10/29/24- 50 years ago today, women could open credit cards and own a house

I knew this was the year when the world of credit opened up to women. But I had no idea that today, October 29, 1973, was the day.

I don’t think you understand exactly what that means.

We, as women, have been clawing our way out of the shadows for a very long time. Or should I say from under a man’s thumb for a very long time.

I like the thumb metaphor better than shadows.

I know, I know. I’ve written about it before. But it is important to acknowledge that it has only been FIFTY years here in the US that a woman has been allowed to sign for a mortgage or a credit card.

Oh, wait, I forgot the qualifier.

It has only been FIFTY years that a woman has been allowed to sign for a mortgage or a credit card WITHOUT A MAN.

That’s better and a more complete sentence.

I had a conversation with a guy this weekend and he was shocked when I was mad when he said that men make sure that society runs smoothly.

After my brain stopped smoking from the rage, I asked what he meant.

He said that it was the men who made sure the rules were followed.

After I was able to unfist my hands, I reminded him that men had had control of the reins of power since time immemorial, especially in this country, and that women were, in fact, police officers who enforced the laws. And there were women in the government who made sure these “rules” were enacted. Not as many as there should be considering we are more than half of the population, but women have to start somewhere.

We left the conversation there and I left the place where we had had this conversation.

It was either that or haul off and punch him. Yes, punch. With a closed-finger fist.

What I wish I’d said, “Well, Chris, maybe if we hadn’t only had real power and real representation in the US Congress, or on the Supreme Court before the last 45 years, women might’ve had a chance to do something about the gross interference of men.”

To which he’d reply, “Women could never.”

And I would say, “Well, if men would get out of our way we could.” And I would watch him turn red and bluster and walk away.

Now, that would be satisfying.

But, yay, for us women who’ve had the ability to take on debt, in our own name, for 50 years today.

Let’s get to work on the rest of it.

First thing to do is vote in this year’s general election.

Especially after that blatant dog whistle of a rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, 10/27/24.

The last thing I will write is that a person for the campaign noted after all the gross “joke” about Puerto Rico that the people didn’t seem to mind.

No, of course not, Jan. They wouldn’t.

Tuesday Top of Mind 7/23/24- It’s the pay parity, stupid!

This was not the Tuesday Top of Mind that I was going to write. And then I saw a report that male nurses make more than female nurses.

Yeah. Women are STILL making less money than men. Even in healthcare. A report from July 11, based on the 2024 Nurse Salary and Work-Life Report from Nurse.com, shows that male nurses make approximately $6,000 more per year than female nurses.

I’ll let that sink in.

Women have been banging on the glass ceiling of the gender pay gap for over 60 years. Well, forever actually, but there was the Equal Pay Act of 1967.

The latest 2022 numbers were that women earn 82% of what men earn.

I’ve heard all the “reasons” men need to make more. The men have families. News flash, so do women. The X job is more dangerous so OF COURSE we have to pay men more. Because they are willing to do the dangerous jobs.

Give me a break!

A bigger news flash you can see from outer space- Healthcare work is dangerous!

Why should a man make more than me because he has an extra appendage? Do I not bleed for the hospital too? On an almost daily basis?

Women don’t negotiate is another reason given. Bitch, women have been negotiating. The point is that men in the C-suite aren’t listening or are gaslighting women into accepting less.

Women take time off to have children. This is true. But what about those of us who don’t have children? Or the ones who have to rush back to work because no structure allows them to take time off for their newborn? Like, I don’t know, guaranteed maternity leave?

Men just need it more for their families. Again, says who?

According to the article, the recommendations for the pay gap are education, discussions, regular audits, and meetings. Also mentioned is promoting career growth for female nurses.

Sigh.

Same verse.

But, Kate, at least it has improved since 2002. Yeah, in 2002, it was 80%. In 22 years the gap has shrunk by 2%.

Oh, boy. I’ll take that in small bills.

Granted, the gender pay gap started at 40% in 1960. 40% in 60 years is tremendous.

But it is not enough.

Tuesday Top of Mind 6/18/24-professors suing to fail girls who have had abortions

To set the scene, two professors in Austin Texas want to punish students for their actions outside of class. The action in this case is abortion. How would they know that there was an abortion is not mentioned. The second professor is suing to not hire teaching assistants who have had an abortion.

Again, how would they know?

In their lawsuit, they claim that girls who take time off of class to have an abortion should be failed. By them. For the egregious crime of becoming pregnant and not wanting to be. Does this mean they will fail all women who can’t come to class because they are sick or need surgery? Because, of course, if they are absent because they are sick they must have had an abortion. But boys who are sick or need care can have it no questions asked, no threat to their grades?

Are they also going to fail the boys who participated in the girls becoming pregnant?

No?

I just asked because if the girls are pregnant and desire an abortion because reasons, the acknowledgment that it takes two for a pregnancy would be useful.

Or does it go back to the judge who sentenced the Stanford rapist to 6 months because otherwise, it might hurt his career? I won’t write what I said then because there aren’t enough curse words. This was back in 2016, let me jog your memory. And when his dad piped in that it wasn’t worth ruining his life for an action that was 20 minutes. I think he forgot that the girl that his son assaulted has to live with that forever. She got a far harsher sentence than he did and she wasn’t even on trial. Because he was remorseful. Yeah, remorseful he got caught.

But to go back to the failing of women and girls because they couldn’t attend class because of an abortion, how would they know?

This comes from an open desire to control the actions of women and girls.

Again, it is all about control.

The men want it and therefore the women should give in.

I’d ask if that was what they want but I’m afraid I can’t stomach the response.

This entire “culture war” that they’ve created and railed on is all about control.

I have a new shirt, did I say?

An RBG tee shirt that says “I’ve heard enough from old white men”.

That says it all, right?

These men are afraid of losing the control they think they have over women.