What is Sex and Gender Based Analysis (SGBA)?
SGBA is a research framework that examines how biological differences (sex) and social factors (gender) influence health outcomes. By integrating SGBA in their work, researchers can ensure that their studies and analyses reflect the diverse experiences of men, women, and gender-diverse individuals, leading to more accurate, equitable, and impactful findings.
Why is SGBA Important?
SGBA is crucial for producing research that is both inclusive and relevant. Biological sex and gender roles can significantly affect how people experience health, access services, and respond to treatments. For women’s health in particular, SGBA helps address gaps in knowledge, ensuring that research accurately reflects women’s unique health needs. By considering these factors, SGBA helps researchers avoid biases, uncover key insights, and improve outcomes for everyone—especially women. If you’re interested in learning more, the following books provide a detailed insight into the effects of not integrating a sex and gender lens in research, medical care, and product development, and its downstream effects on women’s health. .
- Book: Sex matters: How male-centric medicine endangers women’s health and what we can do about it (McGregor, 2020)
- Book: Invisible women: Exposing data bias in a world designed for men (Perez, 2019)
How to Incorporate SGBA into your Research
Incorporating SGBA into your research ensures that sex and gender considerations are included at every stage of the process. Below, you’ll find a collection of resources to guide you in integrating SGBA into your work effectively.
Sex Cells!
Learn how to implement SGBA+ into your own research with a focus on neuroscience.
How to SGBA: Lessons Learned on Incorporating Gender into Research
Learn how to incorporate sex and gender into human and animal research.
How to SGBA: Analyzing and Disseminating your Data
Learn how to incorporate SGBA into the data analysis and dissemination phase of research.
Lost in Translation: Why Studying Sex/Gender Differences Isn’t Enough to Move the Dial on Women’s Health
Learn why we need dedicated women’s health research, beyond SGBA
- Academic article: Gender inclusivity in women’s health (Brotto & Galea., 2022, BJOG)
- Course: Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (Government of Canada)
- Courses: Integrating sex & gender in health research (Government of Canada)
- Toolkit: Gender and sex in methods and measures research equity toolkit (UBC Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity)
Current SGBA Adoption and Funding Gaps
Unfortunately, the adoption of SGBA in research remains far below where it should to be, despite growing efforts by major funding agencies to promote its use. The resources below highlight key research by our team and others, which document the current state of SGBA implementation across various fields and reveal significant funding gaps.
These findings highlight a critical need for greater commitment to SGBA. We encourage researchers and institutions to prioritize this framework, and ensure that future studies fully investigate sex and gender differences. By incorporating SGBA into your research, you can contribute to more inclusive, accurate, and impactful studies that directly improve women’s health outcomes, while advancing health equity for all.
- Academic article: Canadian health research funding patterns for sexual and gender minority populations reflect exclusion of women (Namchuk, et al., 2024, LGBT Health)
- Academic article: Consideration of sex as a biological variable in diabetes research across twenty years (Charian, et. al., 2024, Biology of Sex Differences)
- Academic article: Are we moving the dial? Canadian health research funding trends for women’s health, 2S/LGBTQ + health, sex, or gender considerations (Stranges, et. al, 2023, Biology of Sex Differences)
- Academic article: An analysis of neuroscience and psychiatry papers published from 2009 and 2019 outlines opportunities for increasing discovery of sex differences (Rechlin, et. al., 2022, Nature Communications)
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