Can we talk?
As we navigate the current conversations about sex and gender in society and science, I feel like we need to lower the heat a bit. We could all try to connect more effectively with people who might not immediately see things our way. We need to listen, embrace compassion, and instill trust.
I reach for these principles when reacting to headlines and opinion pieces that — intentionally or otherwise — can misrepresent or muddle something as basic as the importance of studying differences between and among women and men that affect health and disease.
For example, someone might ask, “Why point out our differences, when we are so much the same?” In silent response, I find myself wondering why we would ignore the significant differences that do exist or refuse to look for others, even if they are subtle or outnumbered by so many similarities.
But with an open mind, it is not hard to understand the source of such concerns. Differences have historically been used to control and marginalize groups of people, often based on superficial or made-up categories. Racism and misogyny continue to inflict real pain across the world and inhibit humanity’s capacity to thrive.
Too often, well-intentioned people can talk past each other. Before we talk, it’s good to listen and be respectful.
So how can we answer a legitimate question about the need to research how our differences might affect health? Maybe like this:
Differences that affect health and well-being, established through sensitively conducted peer-reviewed research, are not value judgments about character. They are not measurements to obstruct fairness and an equal opportunity to succeed. They are pieces of data with potentially significant utility for improving health and, consequently, enhancing fairness and an equal opportunity to succeed.
At Women’s Health Research at Yale, we are changing science to study the influence of sex, gender, race, and ethnicity on health so we may learn the best path for everyone’s individual, optimally targeted health needs. Research has established that biological differences exist between individuals and groups of people based on their genes and how genes express themselves throughout life. Similarly, social constructions like gender, race, and the shared culture of ethnicity can affect how people are treated, and this treatment can in turn affect health outcomes.
Too often, well-intentioned people can talk past each other. Before we talk, it’s good to listen and be respectful. Better medical research and practice, as advanced by WHRY, will incorporate the consequential differences between and among us to improve everyone’s lives. But only if we look for them and listen to what they are telling us about ourselves.