Of Mice and Women

Once upon a time in the vast labyrinth of biomedical research labs, there existed a peculiar bias: male mice reigned supreme. Researchers, perhaps envisioning themselves as the Dr. Frankenstein of the rodent world, predominantly selected male mice for their experiments. The rationale? Female mice, with their mysterious estrous cycles, were deemed too unpredictable and would result in data fluctuations. However, one enlightening study revealed that female mice, despite the influence of their hormones, exhibit more consistent behavior than their male counterparts.

In addition, by sidelining female mice, researchers risked missing out on half the picture—or rather, half the species. Imagine developing a groundbreaking drug that works wonders on male mice but turns female mice into mice zombies. Why does research on women’s health practice gender bias?

Acknowledging sex differences isn’t just about fairness; it’s about accuracy. Diseases manifest differently across sexes, and treatments can have varying effects. Labs need to adopt a more inclusive and representative approach to research. Strangely enough, although most people would agree that the idea of learning about feline behavior by studying dogs seems insane, they somehow accept research that learns about female diseases by studying male animals.

Someone needs to remind scientists that there are real differences between men and women, and it’s not just an affinity for romantic comedies.