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Why do we need a policy to address gender data gaps in health and medical research?

In this podcast episode from The George Institute for Global Health, Alice Witt, Policy Fellow, speaks about a significant step towards closing the sex and gender health gap in the UK. Until now most UK medical research has been conducted primarily with male participants, animals or cells, and studies rarely analyse data in a way that enables potential sex or gender differences in outcomes to be identified. The Medical Science Sex and Gender Equity (MESSAGE) project has been working to change this, developing a landmark sex and gender policy framework for UK research funders.

Poor attention to sex and gender has led to critical data gaps in the evidence base, with detrimental effects on health outcomes for all people, but particularly women and girls, as well as trans, non-binary and intersex people.

Read more about the MESSAGE project and framework New sex and gender framework addresses ‘one-size fits all’ approach to UK medical research.