Abstract:

A gender gap exists in biomedical research because more Caucasian men take part than women. As a result, recommended dosages are based on the male physiology with the risks to women unknown. The symptoms, severity, prevalence and age of onset of many diseases may be different in men. Warning signs, and adverse effects may also be different in women and the number of women who have Adverse Events from taking male based recommended dosages is unknown. The gender gap may contribute to medication errors which cause an increasingly large amount of deaths each year. Although women participants are needed and mandated, they may be underrepresented because of child-bearing age and its fluctuating hormones. The possible long-term effect of study drugs on women's gonads is unknown. Women may have a knowledge gap that needs to be bridged as they may not be aware of biomedical medicine research, are unfamiliar with the terms being used to describe the topic, and when faced with multiple therapeutic options, may worry about making informed decisions. Shareholders and women benefit when the gender gap is decreased, safety and efficacy is increased and the result of research become more generalizable. This study investigated perception barriers to participation in Clinical Trials of the women of Liberty City who were 94% African-American, were contrasted with the women of Coral Gables who were 90% Latin-American. This study has never been done before and investigates the barriers that prevent women who are ambulatory patients, from participating in clinical studies.

Keywords: Gender gap, Women’s health research, Barriers to participation.

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