Opinion: Sidelining Black women in clinical trials is not just a moral failure. It’s bad science

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Source: STAT News

Original: https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/27/breast-cancer-disparities-clinical-trial-res...

Published: Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:30:00 +0000

Black women are underrepresented in clinical trials, for example in oncology trials they make up only 2% of participants compared to 84% of white women[3]. In cardiovascular studies from 2015 to 2019, they represented only 6% of female participants[3]. A survey of 500 black women showed that 73% had never been invited to a clinical trial and 27% had been invited at least once[1][3]. At the same time, 80% of the surveyed women are willing to participate if they are approached[1][3]. The main obstacles are concerns about study safety, side effects and logistical issues[1]. This lack of representativeness limits the generalizability of research results and reduces treatment options for this group[1][2]. In 2022, the FDA issued guidance on improving the involvement of underrepresented populations in trials[3].