Why must women and minorities be included in research?
Research benefits and burdens should be distributed fairly. If an individual or group is denied access to a clinical trial that might be beneficial or if some people are singled out to bear the burden of risks associated with a study, the requirement for fairness is not met. In accordance with the policies of the National Institutes of Health, the IRB requires researchers applying for federal funds to give breakdowns of their participant populations by gender and minority group. Studies with the potential to address issues relevant to both sexes must recruit both genders, and minority populations should be included in a study population wherever feasible. Researchers must justify the exclusion of women or minorities. The IRB makes exceptions only if there is adequate scientific justification for exclusion, such as when a disease predominates in one gender.
