Gender Matters

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Gender Matters

POZ (12/97) P. 75
Ocamb, Karen

Abstract: Some 20 percent of persons with AIDS in the United States are women, but AIDS activists claim there is not enough testing of new drug treatments' effects on women. Such exclusion, they say, is indicative of a medical attitude that women are less worthy of attention than men. White House AIDS Policy Director Sandra Thurman notes that healthcare professionals "continue to overlook women because they don't fit into some stereotype identified 15 years ago." A recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services states that approved drugs "appear to be similarly effective in men and women," but activists assert that is untrue. Female HIV and AIDS patients have experienced various side effects to the drugs, because the standard dosages do not take body size or body chemistry differences into account. The Food and Drug Administration recently repealed its rule that drug trials could not include women of "childbearing potential," but many companies are still moving slowly in incorporating enough women into their studies. Activists are calling for better federal policies and accountability, and more efforts to enroll women in studies. These efforts should take into account the realities of women's lives, such as poverty, children, work, poor access to trials, and/or trouble with English. Activists are also urging better regulations from the FDA. The FDA has developed a draft rule that would require gender analysis during studies and annual reports on such; however, activists note that the rule is still unfinished and does not include quotas of women for studies.

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