Gaps in research persist Outdated societal forces that deemed substance use unfit for a woman also barred women from clinical studies. Basing traditional treatment approaches on research done solely on men, coupled with antiquated social norms of who engages in substance use, led researchers to believe in a wider margin in substance use between the sexes then there might actually be. Take alcohol, the most commonly abused substance in the U.S. A 2010 Harvard Medical School study reports that 7 to 12 percent of women and 20 percent of men abuse alcohol. However, since the 1970’s, the publication attests, the “gender gap has been narrowing, as drinking by women has become more socially acceptable.” Though progress has been made, gaps in research on women’s substance abuse persist. Marijuana use, the Harvard study claims, is an example of one of the many remaining blind spots in women’s addiction research. Little is known outside of findings that men are three times as likely to report daily use as women. More work to be done Social disapproval of women using substances has waned, but women still face unique difficulties and barriers when they seek treatment. New technical breakthroughs, more female doctors and women’s greater equality in biomedical research are not enough to adequately address women’s health needs, experts say. “Even though much has been achieved in addressing issues important to women’s health, critics call for continued innovation in medical theories and practices,” says Stanford University history of science “When women enter substance abuse treatment they typically present with a more severe clinical profile than men, despite having used less of the substance and having used the substance for a shorter period of time compared with men.” -Harvard Medical School researchers
Though progress has been made, gaps in research on women’s substance abuse persist. professor Londa Schiebinger. “In order to translate recent advances in our understanding of the molecular and physiological bases of sex differences into new therapeutics and health practices, sound, sex-specific clinical data are imperative.”
31
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker