Mrs. So-and-So, Women’s Participation in Psychedelic Trials

Erika Dyck

Clinical trials today recognize the need to include sex variables in research, and the gendered differences in medical research continue to influence how scientific data is created and communicated. Recognizing sex differences in drug trials is nothing new, even though historically there are examples where overlooking the need to evaluate effects in men and women independently have produced major blind spots and introduced health risks. One case that readily comes to mind is Thalidomide, which was and remains an effective medication in cancer, skin disorder, and other treatments, but when taken during pregnancy increases risks of miscarriage and growth malformations. Drug trials today recognize the need to consider sex, or biological origin, but gender—the self-representation, expression, social, and cultural views of sexuality—is more difficult to measure... continue reading.