Gender-specific addiction research needed now more than ever: Reflections from 25 years of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network Gender Special Interest Group
Recommended Citation
Campbell ANC, Burlew AK, Guille C, Haidamus MA, Hien DA, Killeen T, Lofwall MR, Paschen-Wolff MM, Patten CA, Sugarman DE, Winhusen TJ, Bakhireva LN, Loree AM, Mazel S, and Greenfield SF. Gender-specific addiction research needed now more than ever: Reflections from 25 years of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network Gender Special Interest Group. J Subst Use Addict Treat 2025;209849.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-27-2025
Publication Title
J Subst Use Addict Treat
Keywords
Addiction treatment; Gender; Perinatal; Sex; Substance use disorders
Abstract
Despite rising rates of substance use disorders (SUD) in women and the narrowing of the SUD gender prevalence ratio in the U.S., large knowledge gaps in gender-specific treatment remain. The NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Gender Special Interest Group (GSIG) has provided opportunities to bring the gender lens to national multi-site clinical trials, ancillary studies, secondary data analyses, recommendations for data collection and demographic data, among other contributions to CTN and the SUD treatment field. This commentary provides background on gender differences and the knowledge gap, a history of the CTN GSIG, and its accomplishments via gender specific trials and key secondary analyses. The commentary will close with future directions and recommendations for research including improving the inclusion of intersectional identities in recruitment reach and analyses, reproductive health, pregnant and parenting people, and methodological considerations for clinical trials to enhance capacity to collect and understand data related to gender.
PubMed ID
41314548
ePublication
ePub ahead of print
First Page
209849
Last Page
209849
