Newly founded network promotes medicine that is fair to all genders

Women and men often react differently to diseases and therapies. Prof. Dr Petra Thürmann, Vice President for Research at Witten/Herdecke University and Chair of Clinical Pharmacology, has been working on gender differences in medicines since the late 1990s: "Back then, I was ridiculed on the subject and many colleagues weren't aware that gender differences didn't just exist for gynaecologists and urologists," she says.

Although the topic has since become more prominent, biological and socio-cultural gender differences are still not sufficiently recognised in medical care or research. A new organisation aims to ensure that medicine is fair to all genders: the Network for Gender-Sensitive Medicine NRW. It was founded by the medical faculties of the universities of Aachen, Bielefeld, Bochum, Duisburg-Essen, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Münster and Witten/Herdecke. The initiator of the network is the OWL Faculty of Medicine at Bielefeld University.

"Only through exchange, cooperation and the participation of many scientific and social groups will we achieve the nationwide consideration of gender-sensitive medicine in Germany," says Prof. Dr Sabine Oertelt-Prigione, Professor of Gender-Sensitive Medicine at Bielefeld University.

Anchoring gender aspects in research in medicine and in study regulations

Representatives from eight medical faculties in North Rhine-Westphalia therefore discussed how gender aspects are taken into account in medicine at their universities. They also discussed what is needed to anchor the topic in the faculties' study regulations and in research in medicine. It became apparent that the consideration of gender-sensitive aspects in research and teaching at the different locations varies greatly; in many places, it depends on committed individuals that faculties include the topic in their teaching and research.

The Gender-Sensitive Medicine NRW network that has now been founded is intended to strengthen the discussion of the topic at the participating faculties. The new association is organised under the umbrella of the NRW Women's and Gender Studies Network - which in turn brings together more than 400 scientists from a total of 40 universities and six university-affiliated research institutions.

Advancing individualised medicine for patients

Prof Dr Petra Thürmann is one of the network founders. "By joining forces, we are making the topic of gender-sensitive medicine visible in NRW," she says. "This is hugely important because gender-sensitive medicine enables us to respond better to individual clinical pictures, interpret symptoms correctly or dose medication according to need. If we pool our knowledge in this area, we can significantly advance individualised medicine for patients," she is convinced. In future, the network will work together to create gender-sensitive teaching materials, initiate research projects and organise conferences and lectures.

Further information can be found on the website of the new network.