Gender Medicine: what it is and when it emerged

In recent years, scientific research has paid increasing attention to sex and gender differences and their impact on health. Sex refers to a person's biological characteristics, while gender encompasses social, cultural, and economic factors that can influence well-being and the development of diseases.

For a long time, medicine adopted an androcentric perspective: the male body was considered the universal reference model, while women's health was studied mainly in relation to reproductive functions. Today, we know that this approach is insufficient because men and women may develop diseases differently, experience different symptoms, and respond differently to treatments. Gender Medicine, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), examines how biological and socio-cultural differences influence disease prevention, diagnosis, progression, and response to treatment, with the goal of making healthcare more effective and personalized. This perspective also stems from the recognition that, for many years, clinical studies were conducted predominantly on men, limiting the understanding of sex-based differences and their impact on treatment outcomes. A persistent issue is the underrepresentation of women in scientific research, a phenomenon known as gender blindness. This term refers to the failure to adequately consider sex and gender differences in research design, data analysis, and healthcare practices.

The origins of gender medicine

The development of modern Gender Medicine is closely linked to the work of American cardiologist Bernadine Healy, the first woman to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. In the early 1990s, Healy highlighted how much cardiovascular research was based almost exclusively on male subjects, increasing the risk of delayed diagnosis and treatment for women. In 1991, she coined the term “Yentl Syndrome” in an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The expression described a widespread situation at the time: women were often properly recognized and treated only when they exhibited symptoms similar to those experienced by men. Since then, Gender Medicine has become a fundamental approach for promoting more inclusive research and a healthcare system that is increasingly centered on the individual. In 2000, the WHO included gender medicine in its Equity Act framework to promote gender-appropriate healthcare. In 2018, Italy became one of the first countries in Europe to formally institutionalize Gender Medicine. Our extensive experience in communications relating to women’s health is characterised by the support we provide to organisations, companies and scientific societies, through projects ranging from public relations to targeted awareness campaigns. We believe that providing accurate information is essential for promoting women’s awareness and self-determination: clear and effective communication enables them to listen to their own bodies, make informed treatment choices and seek timely advice from healthcare professionals.