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I read recently that many studies are done with men and not with women, and that this means that not all treatments are really appropriate for women. Why is this?

Traditionally, studies - particularly for medications - have been done in men. This is due to a few factors, the most important being that of safety. Women who are not yet menopausal may become pregnant and any medication tests may prove to be harmful to the baby.

Another issue was that, until not too long ago, scientists believed that if a treatment worked in a man, it should work in a woman. Through the years, we have learned that this isn't true. For this reason, researchers are now making an effort to study for various treatments and therapies. For example, a recent study looked at women and neck strength. The researchers in that particular study wanted to see how strong a woman's neck is and how this can affect the development of neck problems, such as pain and weakness.

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