Sex, gender, and health biotechnology: points to consider.
BACKGROUND
Reproductive technologies have been extensively debated in the literature. As well, feminist economists, environmentalists, and agriculturalists have generated substantial debate and literature on gender. However, the implications for women of health biotechnologies have received relatively less attention. Surprisingly, while gender based frameworks have been proposed in the context of public health policy, practice, health research, and epidemiological research, we could identify no systematic framework for gender analysis of health biotechnology in the developing world.


CONCLUSIONS
We propose sex and gender considerations at five critical stages of health biotechnology research and development: priority setting; technology design; clinical trials; commercialization, and health services delivery.


CONCLUSIONS
Applying a systematic sex and gender framework to five key process stages of health biotechnology research and development could be a first step towards unlocking the opportunities of this promising science for women in the developing world.
Singh
Jerome Amir
JA
Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Durban, South Africa. singhj9@ukzn.ac.za
Bandewar
Sunita
S
Singer
Peter A
PA