Inadequate consideration of the impacts of sex is an issue which persists throughout the full spectrum of biomedical research, from basic science to clinical trials. Lack of data regarding the role of sex impacts patient care and limits the development of medical curricula.
This page provides resources to help scientists, clinicians, and educators understand how inclusive design and data analysis are critical in ensuring that research studies produce data which is applicable across sexes. We also link to recent frameworks and guidelines from funding agencies, journals, and within the scientific community.
SAGER Guidelines: An international set of guidelines to encourage a more systematic approach to the reporting of sex and gender in research across disciplines. A number of journals and organizations have adopted these guidelines, including the World Health Organization, Nature Journals, and The Lancet.
NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health
- What are Sex and Gender? And why do they matter in health research?
- NIH Policy on Sex as a Biological Variable (5-year progress report)
- NIH Specialized Centers of Research Excellence on Sex Differences (SCORE)
- NIH Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH)
NASEM: Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation (2022)
Relevant Literature
Huebschmann AG, Wenger NK, Bairey Merz CN, et al. Potential for Misapplication of a Uniform vs Sex-Specific High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Threshold. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024;84(11):e83-e84. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2024.04.071
Leopold SS, Hensinger RN, Schoenfeld AJ, et al. Improving how orthopedic journals report research outcomes based on sex and gender. JOR SPINE. 2024;7(2):e1334. doi:10.1002/jsp2.1334
Regensteiner JG, Reusch JEB. Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Consequences of Hypertension, Obesity, and Diabetes: JACC Focus Seminar 4/7. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79(15):1492-1505. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.010
Regensteiner JG, Templeton K. Review of the Influences of Sex Differences on Health and Disease: What Is the Role of Journals? J Bone Joint Surg Am. Published online September 26, 2024. doi:10.2106/JBJS.24.00297
Templeton K. Sex and Gender in Orthopaedic Research: How Do We Continue to Move the Needle? JBJS. 2024;106(15):1419. doi:10.2106/JBJS.24.00605
Trent SA, Allen LA, Regensteiner JG, Huebschmann AG. Toward Personalized and Equitable Chest Pain Pathways: Considerations Related to Sex and Gender Differences. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2024;33(6):702-704. doi:10.1089/jwh.2024.0242
Usselman CW, Lindsey ML, Robinson AT, et al. Guidelines on the use of sex and gender in cardiovascular research. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2024;326(1):H238-H255. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00535.2023