SWHR joined 25 organizations in urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to include certain groups of at-risk women in prioritized federal research to combat the novel coronavirus.
Specific groups of women — namely, women of color, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and women who live in poverty — are often excluded from clinical research. This needs to change. To ensure women in these high-risk populations have access to COVID-19 prevention and treatment options, SWHR calls on the FDA and NIH to take the following immediate actions:
- Incentivize and ensure the development of vaccine and treatment candidates suitable for use in pregnancy and lactation.
- Remove clinical trial recruitment and study barriers to promote inclusion of women and ensure adequate representation in federally funded COVID-19 research.
- Consult with the Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant and Lactating Women (PRGLAC) to identify key considerations and best practices for addressing the unique needs of pregnant and lactating women in clinical research.
Read The Letter
