50: How Underfunded Is Women’s Health? The Numbers Surprised Me
From The World's Tightest Community - A Podcast About Vulvodynia, Vaginismus & Women's Pelvic Pain · 00:45:32
Show by Mathilde Olstad
Is women's health actually underfunded - and compared with what?For episode 50, I'm going solo to dig into women's health research and funding. Drawing on my background in finance, I separate two questions that usually get blended together: are the conditions affecting women getting enough research attention, and when research does happen, does it give women the answers they need?We look at what the McKinsey 5% figure really measures, NIH funding for women's vs men's health, male-biased animal and cell research, sex as a biological variable, women in clinical trials, disease burden, private investment, and what I'd like to see change.If you've heard the statistics a hundred times and want to get more precise about where the gaps really are, this one is for you. :) Sponsors:The Pelvic People, makers of the Ohnut and the Kiwi. 15% off with code TWTC15 at thepelvicpeople.com/twtcOrigin, in-network pelvic floor PT. Get your first month of On Track free with code TWTC at theoriginway.com/twtcEpisode sources: https://www.theworldstightestcommunity.com/episode/episode-50-womens-health-research-fundingConnect with Mathilde:Instagram: @theworldstightestcommunityWebsite: theworldstightestcommunity.comNewsletter: https://tinyurl.com/4h4snzzdSupport the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mtxnzhsdChapters:00:00:00 Episode 50 Solo, Research and Funding00:01:22 PubMed, Erectile Dysfunction, Vulvodynia00:02:25 If Men Had Periods, Reductionism00:03:41 Getting Precise, Finance Background00:04:56 Quantifying Underfunding, Data Limits00:05:29 Two Questions: Attention, Useful Answers00:07:21 McKinsey 5% Figure, Pipeline vs Funding00:08:21 Defining Women's Health, Three Groups00:09:52 Cardiovascular Disease, Sex Differences00:10:45 Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk Calculators00:13:16 What Counts as Women's Health Research00:14:24 McKinsey Revisited, Oncology, 1%00:15:05 Drug Pipeline vs Total Research Funding00:16:49 NIH Funding, Women's vs Men's Health00:17:56 NIH Classification, What It Means00:19:27 Three Questions on Underfunding00:21:11 Whose Biology, Male Animals and Cells00:22:17 2014 Study, 80% Male Animals00:23:59 Invisible Women, Male as Default00:24:46 1993 Inclusion Legislation, NIH00:25:54 Sex as a Biological Variable, 201600:26:59 2026 Study: 61% Both Sexes, 44% Analyzed00:28:11 Averages Hiding Sex Differences00:29:19 Trial Representation, Cardio, Psychiatry00:30:45 Representation vs Meaningful Analysis00:31:51 Zolpidem, Ambien, 2013 FDA Dose Change00:33:51 Missed Benefits, Male-Only Research00:34:51 Maternal Health Gaps, Intersectionality00:36:45 Disease Burden, DALYs, Vulvodynia00:38:35 NIH Funding vs Disease Burden, 202100:40:11 Breast Cancer, Funding Outlier00:41:32 Private Investment, WEF, BCG Report00:43:27 Commercial Opportunity, Investor Logic00:45:01 Pelvic Pain, Underdiagnosis, Investment00:46:16 What Needs to Change, Long-Term Research00:47:13 Analyzing Sex Differences00:47:57 Women in Research Leadership, Authorship00:49:33 Tool: Questions for Funding News00:50:05 Takeaways, Nuance in Women's Health00:51:41 Call for Researchers, Thank You
More episodes
- 52: Female Anatomy, Pleasure & Pelvic Pain: The Anatomy Lesson You Never Got
- 51: Interstitial Cystitis Diet & Vulvodynia: Can Restriction Do More Harm Than Good?
- 49: Sex Therapist on Pelvic Pain and Trauma: When the Pain Itself Becomes the Trauma
- 48: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Why You Can Have It In Your 20s & 30s
- 47. Vulvodynia & Gut Health: Exploring the Vaginal Microbiome Connection
- 46. Pelvic Floor Botox: My Experience & Why My Physio Told Me to Do Less
- 45. Postpartum Pelvic Pain: Why Sex Hurts After Birth And What Actually Helps
- 44. Neurodivergence and Pelvic Pain: What ADHD and Autism Change in the Exam Room
- 7. Vulvodynia Research: How Psychology, Relationships, and Stigma Shape Your Pain Outcomes
- 5. Vulvodynia Root Causes: Hormonal, Muscular, Nerve, and Inflammatory I Dr. Jill Krapf
PodSearch is a free, independent podcast search engine. Read about PodSearch, the privacy policy or contact us.