Participation in research

[differenceblog]

As we started to discuss in comments to last Thursday's post ( "Baby and Back"), women are not proportionately represented in most research. While more than half of all living humans are women, far less than half of research participants are. Most of the disparity is attributed to "willingness to participate" (WTP) in research. While much

Comments

[deathjoy]

Many of the paid research trials I have called about exclude women due to taking birth control, ability to conceive, or fluctuation of hormones confounding results.

[differenceblog]

So, let me get this straight:

If they're on birth control, they're medicated, and so they're not eligible
If they're NOT on birth control, they might conceive, so they're not eligible.
and whether or not they're on birth control, they have hormones (unlike men?!?) and so they're not eligible.

If it's not too personal, what kind of studies were these?

[deathjoy]

I don't remember exactly, but different medications, some for skin disorders and some for cholesterol and blood pressure. I wanted in on whatever I could get paid for! They did say post menopausal women were eligible.

When I did research in a psych rat lab, I was also told that female rats were not usually used due to hormonal fluctuations.

[aesmael]

Indeed. How do they expect people to prescribe to women not knowing the potential effects of the drug.