Background: Sex and gender bias persists across medical and clinical research, with historical underrepresentation of female and intersex participants in clinical trials linked to outdated assumptions about hormonal variability and "male as norm" (1). Historically, only 37% of clinical trial participants are female (2), sex bias remains in clinical research (3), and just 36% of gendered images in anatomy textbooks depict women (4). While national policy is shifting - the NHMRC's 2024 Statement (5) now requires consideration of sex, gender, and variations of sex characteristics across all funded research stages, gaps remain in how undergraduate science curricula translate this principle into practice. This project aimed to develop and implement a scalable, programmatic framework for integrating sex and gender variation teaching across an undergraduate Anatomy and Developmental Biology (ADB) major.
Methods: A curriculum mapping approach was used across sequential units (BMS1021, DEV2011, DEV2022, DEV3011, DEV3022), identifying existing touchpoints for sex/gender content and layering in new, discipline-appropriate activities. Two new activities were piloted in DEV2022: an XX vs XY pelvic comparison and a cardiovascular case-based module on sex differences.
Results: The framework successfully scaffolded content from foundational reproductive anatomy (Year 1) through to molecular drivers of gonadal development and bioethics (Year 3), without requiring wholesale curriculum redesign. The pelvic anatomy activity demonstrated feasibility for low-preparation, high-engagement delivery. Two further activities (special senses, pain perception) are scheduled for 2026, indicating ongoing scalability.
Conclusion: Programmatic, stepwise integration of sex and gender variation into existing curricular touchpoints offers a feasible, low-resource model for addressing representation gaps in science education, with potential for extension into broader Science disciplines.
References: 1. Merone L, et al (2022). 2. Geller SE, et al. (2011). 3. Barlek MH, et al (2022). 4. Beresheim A, et al (2024). 5. NH&MRC, nhmrc.gov.au/research-policy/gender-equity/statement-sex-and-gender-health-and-medical-research