The Need for Diversity in Autoimmune Disease Research Trials

While the United States has made progress to close the gaps that have resulted from the historical exclusion of women and underrepresented minority populations in research, the decades of exclusion andunderrepresentation has—in essence—left the nation playing “catch up” from underfunding and understudying diseases and conditions that disproportionately impact women, including autoimmune diseases and conditions. Yet, tackling autoimmune diseases and conditions is dependent on understanding genetic and environmental mechanisms of disease and identifying treatments and interventions that apply for everyone, regardless of sex, gender, race, or ethnicity. Therefore, having a diversity of patients within clinical trials is essential.

The Society for Women’s Health Research developed the policy brief, “The Need for Diversity in Autoimmune Disease Research Trials: How Overlooking Diversity Hampers Knowledge and Impacts Outcomes,” reviews how the exclusion of any population from autoimmune clinical trials limits our understanding of these diseases and leaves us ill-equipped to provide the safest and most effective treatments and interventions.

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While the United States has made progress to close the gaps that have resulted from the historical exclusion of women and underrepresented minority populations in research, the decades of exclusion andunderrepresentation has—in essence—left the nation playing “catch up” from underfunding and understudying diseases and conditions that disproportionately impact women, including autoimmune diseases and conditions. Yet, tackling autoimmune diseases and conditions is dependent on understanding genetic and environmental mechanisms of disease and identifying treatments and interventions that apply for everyone, regardless of sex, gender, race, or ethnicity. Therefore, having a diversity of patients within clinical trials is essential.

The Society for Women’s Health Research developed the policy brief, “The Need for Diversity in Autoimmune Disease Research Trials: How Overlooking Diversity Hampers Knowledge and Impacts Outcomes,” reviews how the exclusion of any population from autoimmune clinical trials limits our understanding of these diseases and leaves us ill-equipped to provide the safest and most effective treatments and interventions.

DOWNLOAD THE POLICY BRIEF