How feminist biology is challenging science’s gender biases

Is the science of biology sexist? Last week, in a co-written article for the journal Nature, the director of the US National Institute of Health (NIH) publicly admonished scientists for testing drugs and theories on male lab rats, tissues and cells, while excluding females for fear their hormone cycles might distort results. Research, the authors wrote, suggests females? cycles are no more distortionary than males?. Now all studies that apply to the NIH will be vetted for an appropriate balance of male and female subjects.