U N D E R T H E M I C R O S C O P E
SARITA STEFANI
CO-FOUNDER & CEO AT AMILIS
Sarita Stefani , Co-founder and CEO of Amilis , is a pioneering advocate for women ’ s health and FemTech , recently awarded the Women ’ s Health Ultimate Role Model Award 2024 . With a focus on equitable health data and reproductive care , she ’ s working to close gender gaps in medical research . As an angel investor in life sciences , Sarita combines expertise and passion to address critical challenges in healthcare . Here , she shares insights on overcoming historical biases and systemic barriers impacting women ’ s reproductive health . h
How have historical gender biases in medical research contributed to the current lack of comprehensive data on women ’ s reproductive health , and what social factors have perpetuated these gaps ?
Historically , medical research has largely centred on male physiology , often viewing it as the ‘ standard ,’ leading to significant gaps in our understanding of women ’ s reproductive health . This bias has roots in 20th-century research policies that explicitly excluded women , especially due to concerns about hormonal fluctuations affecting study results . Consequently , conditions like endometriosis , PCOS and fibroids were sidelined . Social factors such as the stigmatisation of menstrual health and the tendency to minimise women ’ s pain and symptoms as ‘ psychosomatic ’ or
‘ natural ’ byproducts of menstruation have reinforced these gaps . Furthermore , the lack of women in leadership roles within the medical and research fields has perpetuated this inequality in focus and funding .
What are the most critical gaps in research when it comes to reproductive health conditions like endometriosis , PCOS and fibroids , and how do these gaps affect diagnosis and treatment ?
Critical gaps include a lack of understanding of the root causes of these conditions , biomarkers for early diagnosis , and effective , personalised treatments . For example , endometriosis , which affects approximately 10 % of women globally , lacks non-invasive diagnostic tests , often requiring invasive surgeries for confirmation . This not only delays
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