title: Gender-sensitive reporting in medical research.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: International AIDS Society, Geneva, Switzerland.
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authors.affiliation: Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.|Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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authors.affiliation: Fundación Huesped, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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authors.affiliation: International AIDS Society, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mirjam J
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authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Makerere Medical School, Kampala, Uganda.
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authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.|Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
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authors.lastname: Marlink
authors.affiliation: European Association of Science Editors; Wiley-Blackwell, International House, London, UK.
authors.forename: Joan
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authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ana
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authors.lastname: Marusic
authors.affiliation: Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Nass
authors.affiliation: Division of AIDS, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Providence Healthcare, Vancouver, Canada.
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authors.affiliation: CIBERESP, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Cantero
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sherr
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Papa Salif
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sow
authors.affiliation: Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Squires
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authors.initials: MA
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mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008374:Manuscripts, Medical as Topic; D012737:Sex Factors