Gender-sensitive research: How gender shapes our health!

Gender-sensitive research: How gender shapes our health!

In medicine and health research, the term “gender-sensitive research” has become increasingly important in recent years. This line of research recognizes the individual differences between the sexes and aims to develop better diagnostic and treatment options for diseases. According to the University of Duisburg-Essen A lecture series entitled “Sex and Gender in the Life Sciences” will be launched on March 13, 2025, which aims to address these important aspects in medical research.

The lecture series, which takes place online, is supported by five collaborative research projects at the University of Duisburg-Essen funded by the German Research Foundation. The first lecture will examine the influence of sex and gender aspects on physiology and their importance for daily life. These topics will be further explored through the end of the year, with a focus on areas such as oncology, cardiology and neuroscience.

Relevance of gender-sensitive medicine

Research shows that individual factors such as gender, age and lifestyle are crucial for medical care. This is also done by the BMBF which promotes gender-sensitive approaches as an essential part of health research. Symptoms can vary greatly between women and men, which can lead to incorrect diagnoses in the case of heart attacks or mental illnesses, for example.

The need for differentiation is particularly evident in the context of diseases such as osteoporosis, which affect women more severely after menopause. Drugs work differently depending on gender, which is due to different metabolic processes. In order to address these challenges, the BMBF has announced that it will fund five interdisciplinary centers for reproductive health with a total of around 11 million euros over three years from November 2023.

The development of gender medicine

Gender medicine, which became established in the USA in the late 1980s, deals with the biological and social differences between the sexes in the field of health. Loud Docfinder This line of research aims to promote the health of both genders and reduce inequalities in medical care. The central tasks of gender medicine include the investigation of disease progression and gender-specific risk factors as well as the development of gender-specific prevention strategies.

The common challenges in this line of research are the lack of gender-specific data and the frequent neglect of female perspectives in clinical trials. This not only leads to undertreatment or mistreatment of women, but also to inaccurate diagnoses and suboptimal treatment outcomes for men. Collecting and examining a diverse range of gender-specific information is therefore of utmost importance.

In summary, it can be said that gender-sensitive research and gender medicine not only contribute to improving patient care, but also carry out essential basic research in order to integrate gender-specific characteristics throughout the health system.