Table 2.

Key recommendations of the roadmap for sex- and gender-disaggregated health research

Phase 1: Exploration of sex and gender differences  - Identify where sex and gender differences do (and do not) exist;  - Always report sex-specific findings (with measure of variability);  - Do not make conclusions on the presence (or absence) of sex differences based only on the sex-specific findings;  - Quantify sex differences using a full interaction model that accounts for the possibility of sex-specific confounding

Phase 2: Explanation of sex and gender differences  - Exclude the artefactual explanation;  - When evaluating sex differences in the associations of risk factors, consider both the absolute (risk difference) and relative (risk ratio) scales  - Assess to what extent any sex or gender differences are due to differences in biology or due to different interactions with the healthcare system;  - Use sex-specific Mendelian randomisation to strengthen sex-differentiated causal inferences;  - Broaden the scope of research on the role of sex hormones

Phase 3: Translation to policy and practice  - Embed sex- and gender-inclusive medicine in the curriculum of health professionals;  - Consider including sex-specific recommendations in guidelines;

Systemic factors  - Ensure that the participation of women and men in clinical trials, and medical research more broadly, is commensurate with the prevalence of the disease of interest in the population;  - Funders and publishers of medical research should make the integration of sex and gender a requirement for funding or publishing;  - Enhance the diversity in teams in research, policy, and practice, and address implicit biases against women