Why Are Women's Reproductive Health Issues Given Less Attention And Research Money Than Alzheimer's?
Gender disparity in medical research is a reality, not just some feminist talking point. But the issue is more pervasive and complicated than it may seem and exposes the fact that our culture is increasingly uninterested in reproduction.
In the post-fourth wave feminist West, it’s almost taboo to point out how individuals with XX chromosomes are fundamentally different in many ways to those with XY chromosomes. Yes, women can and should still be equal in the eyes of the law to men, but we also differ from them in many of our bodily functions. Denial of these inherent, biological truths could actually set us up for failure. For instance, have you ever noticed just how pervasive gender disparities are in medical research?
Most studies commonly circulated to promote the benefits of intermittent fasting (IF) exclude women. Yet, diet advice gurus praise the lifestyle for both genders despite the fact that women’s metabolisms evolved to respond to fasting periods differently from men's. Spoiler alert: Our bodies aren’t built to thrive on IF like men’s can. In another case, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration actually had to walk back recommended dosages for Ambien after it was discovered that women routinely overdosed on it – two decades after the sleeping pills got approval.