Certainly, with the call to action for the inclusion of women in research study populations, we should consider SG-specific barriers that may preclude women from participation in research studies and affect access and entry to treatment. For example, the subject burden may be higher in women as women may be more likely to experience stigma and financial constraints and may be less likely to take time off work, find transportation, and obtain affordable childcare while participating in research or seeking treatment for substance use disorders (Greenfield, Back, Lawson, & Brady, 2010; Tuchman, 2010). Further, there are other logistical considerations, such as scan costs and other recruitment challenges, that may deter recruitment of adequate sample sizes to power the detection of sex effects. Nonetheless, it is important that the NIH prioritizes women’s health research, that the field upholds the NIH guidelines to include and analyze SABV in not only neuroimaging research but all research domains, and that the we consider the socioeconomic barriers women may face in scientific research.
