Medical Research: Women Excluded Until 1993

Historically, women were not mandated to be included in National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded medical trials until 1993. This policy shift followed the thalidomide tragedy in the late 1950s, where pregnant women's use of the sedative resulted in birth defects, leading the FDA to exclude women of childbearing potential from early trials.

Philosophers of science note that women were often deemed too hormonally variable for reliable data or a male body was simply considered the standard. This led to a significant gap in research data specific to women, prompting activism and protests in the 1980s and 1990s.

The current medical system often uses a simplistic 'two-bucket' approach for sex, categorizing individuals as male or female. Experts caution that this can overlook similarities between sexes and ignore the diversity within these categories, leading to a 'two-size-fits-most' rather than a 'one-size-fits-all' approach.

Furthermore, this binary classification fails to account for individuals who do not fit neatly into these categories, such as intersex or transgender individuals. The focus on biological sex differences can also mask societal inequalities, like women's pain being taken less seriously, which impacts diagnosis and treatment.

While the inclusion of women in trials has increased, concerns remain about the simplistic interpretation of sex differences, as seen with the FDA's 2013 decision to lower the recommended Ambien dose for women. Experts advocate for greater specificity in defining sex in research and considering societal factors alongside biological ones for more equitable and precise medicine.