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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News NIH Office of the Director (OD) <https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director> For Immediate Release: March 11, 2022 CONTACT: NIH Office of Communications, 301-496-5787, <e-mail:nmb@xxxxxxxxxx>
NIH-FUNDED NASEM REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CRITICAL NEED FOR SGM-RELATED DATA COLLECTION I would foremost like to express my thanks to the National Academies for the groundbreaking and timely report < https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/sgmro/reports> released this week on measuring sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This report,
which was commissioned by 19 components of the National Institutes of Health in 2020, is the most comprehensive review to date of measurement-related research for these constructs. In addition to reviewing existing research, the consensus study panel committee
also made recommendations for specific measures and their use, outlined data collection principles, and highlighted recommended research areas. This report is much needed for a variety of reasons. From what limited research that exists, we know that sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations encounter unique health disparities in comparison to heterosexual and cisgender populations.
However, large gaps in our understanding of SGM health continue to persist, in part, due to the lack of adequate, consistent, and standardized data collection of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in research studies, administrative records, surveillance
databases, and clinical settings. More reliable data is needed to better assess, understand, and address the unique health concerns and needs of SGM people. Expanding data collection on sexual and gender minorities is also critical for enhancing diversity,
equity, and inclusion within the scientific and health research workforce. This report will serve as the cornerstone for our agency’s efforts to enhance data collection that is inclusive of SGM populations. NIH plans to utilize the recommendations outlined within the report and to promote the use of recommended
measures across the agency and to the health research and scientific communities. The agency will also work to prioritize the recommendations made for future research to enhance the measurement of all three constructs. I hope that this report will facilitate
the collection of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation across the broader federal landscape, and will be a springboard in launching the field of SGM health research forward. Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D. Acting Director, NIH About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting
and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit <www.nih.gov>. NIH...Turning Discovery into Health -- Registered, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ### This Statement is available online at: <https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/nih-funded-nasem-report-highlights-critical-need-sgm-related-data-collection> To subscribe (or unsubscribe) from NIH News Release mailings, go to <http://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USNIH_1>. If you subscribed via the NIH LISTSERV, go to <https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A0=nihpress>. |
