Impact of sex and gender medicine on antibiotic research and use: a narrative review of existing evidence.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search methodology or original human data
PubMed 41614386 · doi:10.1080/17425255.2026.2624810
What was done
This was a narrative review synthesizing existing evidence on how biological sex and sociocultural gender factors impact antibiotic research, pharmacokinetics, adverse drug reactions, prescribing patterns, gender-specific infections, and antimicrobial resistance. It also assessed the lack of data concerning pregnancy as well as cisgender and transgender women.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings or quantitative statistics. It describes biological variations in drug pharmacokinetics and immune responses, points out sociocultural drivers of prescribing, notes higher adverse drug reaction burdens in underrepresented populations, and highlights the ongoing exclusion of women and transgender individuals from clinical antibiotic research.
Why it matters
It emphasizes the need to incorporate sex- and gender-specific considerations into antimicrobial stewardship, trial design, dosing guidelines, and clinical decision support to optimize safety and efficacy.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks systematic search criteria, protocol registration, and formal risk of bias assessment. No original patient data or pooled quantitative effect sizes are provided.
Cited by
- supports Medication development and testing have historically been male-centric despite medications frequently being prescribed to women.