Sex & Gender Considerations in Research

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But what exactly does that mean?

We attended the CIHR Sex & Gender workshop, and this is what we learned!

What is the difference between sex & gender?

  • Sex = biological characteristics
  • Gender = cultural attitudes and behaviours

Why should you include considerations for sex & gender in your research?

  • Sex and gender affect everyone
  • Women are historically under-represented in health research
  • Men’s health is not a proxy for women’s health
  • It results in better science

How can you include sex & gender considerations in your research?

  • Discuss the differences in disease prevalence
  • Discuss relevant sex & gender research gaps
  • If the objective includes both men & women, make that explicit
  • Increase the sample size to allow for reporting of sex & gender differences
  • Discuss gendered considerations in recruitment strategies
  • Add a sex & gender question on your questionnaire
  • Include sex & gender in your analysis strategy
  • Customize your KT plan by sex & gender

There are many reasons why sex & gender considerations may not be applicable to your research question, such as when studying diseases that affect only one sex, addressing a significant gender gap in research, or when the data just isn’t available.  However, a clear justification is necessary and creativity is encouraged.

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By Heather Noga, Research Coordinator

The Women’s Health Research Institute would like to acknowledge that we are uninvited guests on the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lo, and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-waututh) Nations.

As a provincial research institute committed to improving the health outcomes of women, including those across the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum, we recognize our responsibility in the collective effort towards establishing culturally safe health care systems and services that address health inequities among Indigenous peoples, especially Indigenous women, girls, and Two-spirit peoples.

We encourage all people involved in research to read both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and the In Plain Sight Report, and reflect on ways we can incorporate the recommendations into our work. As we gather in spaces together, we encourage you to reflect on your positionality on these lands and your personal commitments to reconciliation.

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