Browsing by Author "Wainberg, Mark A."

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Gender-sensitive reporting in medical research.
(BioMed Central., 2012) Heidari, Shirin.; Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.; Auerbach, Judith D.; Buitendijk, Simone E.; Cahn, Pedro.; Curno, Mirjam J.; Hankins, Catherine.; Katabira, Elly.; Kippax, Susan.; Marlink, Richard.; Marsh, Joan.; Marusic, Ana.; Nass, Heidi M.; Montaner, Julio S. G.; Pollitzer, Elizabeth.; Ruiz-Cantero, Maria Teresa.; Sherr, Lorraine.; Sow, Papa Salif.; Squires, Kathleen.; Wainberg, Mark A.
Sex and gender differences influence the health and wellbeing of men and women. Although studies have drawn attention to observed differences between women and men across diseases, remarkably little research has been pursued to systematically investigate these underlying sex differences. Women continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials, and even in studies in which both men and women participate, systematic analysis of data to identify potential sex-based differences is lacking. Standards for reporting of clinical trials have been established to ensure provision of complete, transparent and critical information. An important step in addressing the gender imbalance would be inclusion of a gender perspective in the next Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guideline revision. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, as a set of well recognized and widely used guidelines for authors and biomedical journals, should similarly emphasize the ethical obligation of authors to present data analyzed by gender as a matter of routine. Journal editors are also promoters of ethical research and adequate standards of reporting, and requirements for inclusion of gender analyses should be integrated into editorial policies as a matter of urgency.
Time for gender mainstreaming in editorial policies.
(International AIDS Society., 2011) Heidari, Shirin.; Eckert, Mirjam J.; Kippax, Susan.; Abdool Karim, Quarraisha.; Sow, Papa Salif.; Wainberg, Mark A.
The HIV epidemic has been continuously growing among women, and in some parts of the world, HIV-infected women outnumber men. Women’s greater vulnerability to HIV, both biologically and socially, influences their health risk and health outcome. This disparity between sexes has been established for other diseases, for example, autoimmune diseases, malignancies and cardiovascular diseases. Differences in drug effects and treatment outcomes have also been demonstrated. Despite proven sex and gender differences, women continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials, and the absence of gender analyses in published literature is striking. There is a growing advocacy for consideration of women in research, in particular in the HIV field, and gender mainstreaming of policies is increasingly called for. However, these efforts have not translated into improved reporting of sex-disaggregated data and provision of gender analysis in published literature; science editors, as well as publishers, lag behind in this effort. Instructions for authors issued by journals contain many guidelines for good standards of reporting, and a policy on sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis should not be amiss here. It is time for editors and publishers to demonstrate leadership in changing the paradigm in the world of scientific publication. We encourage authors, peer reviewers and fellow editors to lend their support by taking necessary measures to substantially improve reporting of gender analysis. Editors’ associations could play an essential role in facilitating a transition to improved standard editorial policies.