March is a month of renewal. It marks the beginning of spring, when the landscape slowly returns to life and the evenings - finally - begin to stretch a little longer.
It feels like the perfect time to celebrate International Women’s Day: a moment to honour the brilliant, courageous women in our lives, and the inspiring women who challenge us to do better and be better.
And yet, when it comes to health, women have historically been anything but empowered.
A brief history: when women were not included in clinical trials
For decades, the uncomfortable truth was that women were routinely excluded from medical research. Until the early 1990s, women of childbearing age were often banned from participating in clinical trials in the United States and were widely underrepresented in research across Europe(1).
The result? Many of the medications, dosages, and treatment protocols still used today were originally tested predominantly on men.
It raises an important question: are women still underrepresented in medical research - even now?
From my work as a Clinical Nutritionist, I know that many women continue to feel unheard - in GP surgeries, in hospitals, and even in their workplaces. Phrases like “it’s just a period” are still said in polite society. Women living with painful gynaecological conditions are too often sent home with little more than a prescription for the contraceptive pill and a packet of paracetamol.
In a world where we have chewable Viagra, many women are left wondering: where is the investment in women’s health research?
So let’s talk about it.
Are women underrepresented in medical research today?
Despite progress, women not included in clinical trials is not just a historical issue. While policy changes have improved representation since the 1990s(1), important gaps remain - particularly for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and those in perimenopause or postmenopause.
Sadly, women of colour experience even greater underrepresentation in clinical trials, leaving major blind spots in our understanding of ethnic diversity and how it affects treatment needs.
Pregnant women, for example, are routinely excluded from drug trials due to understandable safety concerns. Yet this leaves clinicians prescribing medications with limited pregnancy-specific safety data. Similarly, perimenopausal women - who may experience significant hormonal fluctuations affecting sleep, mood, and metabolism -are rarely the focus of targeted trials.
Even when women are included, the data is not always analysed separately by sex. A large review of biomedical research found persistent sex bias, particularly in preclinical studies, where male animals and cells are often used by default(2). Inclusion alone is not enough, meaningful analysis matters.
The consequences are not abstract. Women experiencing a heart attack often present differently to men - with symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, or jaw pain rather than the classic crushing chest pain. These differences have historically contributed to delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes(3).
Women also experience adverse drug reactions at higher rates than men, partly due to differences in body composition, hormonal environment, and metabolism. These nuances matter deeply in women’s health - and they deserve focused attention.
How this affects everyday women’s health and treatment
When women are not included in clinical trials, it filters directly into everyday care. When women are underrepresented in medical research, doses, side-effect profiles and even diagnostic criteria may be based primarily on male-dominant data.
Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, and through perimenopause can alter how medicines are absorbed, distributed, and metabolised. Women generally have a higher percentage of body fat and different enzyme activity in the liver - both of which can influence drug processing.
For example, certain pain medications may work differently across the menstrual cycle. Sleep medications have been shown in some cases to remain in women’s systems longer, increasing next-day drowsiness. Anxiety presentations can overlap with thyroid dysfunction or perimenopausal changes, complicating diagnosis. Cardiovascular disease, as discussed, often looks different in women(3). Autoimmune conditions - which disproportionately affect women - are still underfunded relative to their burden(4).
These differences are not weaknesses. They are biological realities. But if research does not reflect them, care cannot fully address them.
Practical steps: how women can advocate for their health
While systemic change is essential, there are practical ways women can advocate for their own women’s health in the meantime - particularly when women are underrepresented in medical research.
Start with questions. When prescribed a new medication or treatment, consider asking:
- Was this treatment studied in women?
- Are there sex-specific side effects I should know about?
- Does timing within my menstrual cycle matter?
- Could perimenopause or hormonal changes affect how this works?
Tracking symptoms can be transformative. Recording sleep, mood, pain levels, digestion, energy, and cycle patterns over several months can reveal patterns that help personalise conversations with clinicians. For women in perimenopause or on hormone therapy, this becomes even more valuable.
As a Clinical Nutritionist, I always return to the foundations of health:
- Sleep: consistent bedtimes, light exposure in the morning, limiting late-night stimulation.
- Stress regulation: breathwork, gentle movement, time outdoors, social connection.
- Pain management: an anti-inflammatory diet, magnesium where appropriate, and movement tailored to the individual.
- Nutrition and blood sugar balance: particularly important for mood stability and hormonal health.
Self-advocacy does not mean self-diagnosis. It means becoming informed and confident enough to participate actively in decisions about your body.
Where CBD fits in women’s health
Within the wider conversation around women’s health, CBD has emerged as one potential supportive tool, particularly for stress, sleep disruption and everyday discomfort.
Current evidence suggests CBD may play a role in supporting relaxation and sleep quality for some individuals, though research is still developing and is not specific to all women’s health conditions. It is not a cure, nor a substitute for medical treatment or professional advice.
Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or taking medication should always speak to a healthcare professional before using CBD products.
If choosing a product, quality matters. Look for:
- Third-party laboratory testing.
- Clear cannabinoid content and dosing information.
- Transparent sourcing and manufacturing standards.
CBD works best as part of a broader toolkit that includes nutrition, movement, sleep hygiene, and stress support. If you’re curious about whether CBD supplements may support your stress, sleep or recovery, you can book a free 15mn consultation so we can assess how they might fit into your wider wellbeing plan safely and appropriately.
Women’s health in March: from International Women’s Day to Mother’s Day
March gives us two powerful reminders: International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day in the UK. Both invite celebration. Both honour strength, resilience and care. And both sit alongside the reality that Women’s Health has not always received equal research investment.
Many of you reading this are balancing work, caregiving, relationships and your own wellbeing - often placing yourselves last. This month can be a gentle prompt to reverse that pattern.
Use March to learn about your cycle. To book the appointment you have been postponing. To ask the extra question. To support another woman navigating her own health journey.
Celebration is important. But informed empowerment is powerful.
Final thoughts: A smarter future for women’s health
Women’s Health deserves evidence that reflects women’s bodies, hormones and lived experiences. We have made progress - but women are underrepresented in medical research in ways that still shape diagnosis, treatment and outcomes today.
The future can look different. With better funding, better analysis and better awareness, care can become more precise, more personalised and more equitable.
Stay informed. Ask questions. Support research that prioritises women’s health.
And this March, as we celebrate the women who inspire us, let’s also invest in the science that protects them.
Sources
- Merkatz, R.B., Temple, R., Subel, S., Feiden, K. and Kessler, D.A., 1993. Women in clinical trials of new drugs: a change in Food and Drug Administration policy. New England Journal of Medicine, 329(4), pp.292–296.
- Beery, A.K. and Zucker, I., 2011. Sex bias in neuroscience and biomedical research. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(3), pp.565–572.
- Mehta, L.S., et al., 2016. Acute myocardial infarction in women: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 133(9), pp.916–947.
- Mirin, A.A., 2021. Gender disparities in research funding: differences by disease burden. Journal of Women’s Health, 30(7), pp.956–963.
- Bierer, B.E., Meloney, L.G., Ahmed, H.R. & White, S.A., 2022. Advancing the inclusion of underrepresented women in clinical research. Cell Reports Medicine, 3(4), p.100553. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100553
