Putting Women First
words by mary ann littell / photographs by john emerson
gloria bachmann, MD,
PROFESSOR AND INTERIM CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS, GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE; PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE; ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH; UMDNJ-ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL SCHOOL (RWJMS)
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istorically, women have been ignored when it comes to clinical trials, says Gloria Bachmann, MD. “During the early to mid- 20th century, it was thought that a woman’s participation in any kind of clinical study could negatively impact reproduction and fetal development,” she states. “As a result, women were excluded from clinical research and studies were done only on men. The results were then applied to women, with sometimes disastrous consequences.”
She explains that women and men with the same disease may have dissimilar symptoms and respond in diverse ways to some medications. “Women and men are affected differently when experiencing a heart attack, and may respond differently to treatment. These important distinctions are currently known because we’re the benefactors of the clinical data.”
Bachmann has devoted her career to improving women’s health, bringing to the forefront many of the issues facing pre- and post-menopausal women. “Women face so many physical demands throughout their lifespan, including menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation,” says the gynecologist. “Their bodies are put to the test. The goal of our research is to identify better ways for women to take care of themselves.”
As director of the Women’s Health Institute at RWJMS, she currently oversees several clinical trials studying menopause, contraception, sexual dysfunction and vulvodynia (pelvic pain). Some of the studies are funded by pharmaceutical companies or outside groups, including the National Institutes of Health. Bachmann also conducts studies of her own design. “What’s most important is the quality of the trial, not the sponsor,” she says.
One large multicenter study she’s writing with colleagues from the University of Tennessee and the University of Rochester seeks to determine the optimal pharmacologic treatment for women with vulvodynia.
Bachmann is also overseeing a study of female sexual dysfunction, or low arousal, examining non-hormonal medications. “While studies of sexual dysfunction have traditionally looked at younger women, we’re examining both a younger and an older group,” she says. Bachmann is near completion of another study examining the use of a neurotransmitter to treat sexual symptoms. This study is sponsored by Boeringer-Engelheim, the drug’s manufacturer.
A recent recipient of the North American Menopause Society Award for Vaginal Health Research, Bachmann sees her role as championing all women and shattering stereotypes about women and aging. “I’ve been in medicine long enough to see the results of research,” she says. “It’s very gratifying to know I’ve made a difference.”