Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'It's Everyday Put-Downs, And Exclusions, And Belittlings': Widespread Sexual Harassment Found In Academic Science
The Washington Post: Half Of Women In Science Experience Harassment, A Sweeping New Report Finds
Science has a sexual harassment problem. From the most polished ivory tower to the local community college, harassment pervades lecture halls and laboratories, observatories and offices, teaching hospitals and Antarctic field sites. And it takes an economic and emotional toll on female researchers and stifles their scientific contributions, according to a sweeping new study released Tuesday. The solution will require a “systemwide change to the culture and climate in higher education,” the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine conclude. (Kaplan and Guarino, 6/12)
The New York Times: How Universities Deal With Sexual Harassment Needs Sweeping Change, Panel Says
Years of efforts to prevent sexual harassment of women in the fields of science, engineering and medicine have not succeeded, and a sweeping overhaul is needed in the way universities and institutions deal with the issue, a major new report by a national advisory panel concluded on Tuesday. “Despite significant attention in recent years, there is no evidence to suggest that current policies, procedures, and approaches have resulted in a significant reduction in sexual harassment,” said the report, which was more than two years in the making, starting well before the #MeToo era. It was issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, independent agencies that advise the government and the public. (Belluck, 6/12)
Stat: Sexual Harassment Is Rampant In Science, Landmark Report Finds
“Most of that harassment is not the Harvey Weinstein harassment. It’s the everyday put-downs, and exclusions, and belittlings. It’s all of the ways of making women feel unwelcome,” said Kathryn Clancy, a member of the committee that produced the report and a University of Illinois anthropologist who has studied sexual harassment in science. (Thielking, 6/12)
Stat: At Biotech Industry Party, Topless Dancers Had Logos Painted On Their Bodies
When Kate Strayer-Benton arrived at a Boston nightclub last Wednesday night for a party for attendees of the BIO International Convention, she was expecting to see extravagant costumes. The annual party — called the Party At BIO Not Associated With BIO, or PABNAB for short — after all, has a reputation for bringing over-the-top themes and festivities to an industry networking event. But Strayer-Benton was shocked and frustrated by what she saw: At least two topless women dancing on mini-stages, their bodies painted with logos of several of the companies that had sponsored the party. (Robbins, 6/12)
And in other news —
Stat: Trump Administration Shuttering Practice-Guidelines Clearinghouse For Docs
Diagnostic and treatment guidelines aren’t sexy, but they play a vital role in the practice of medicine. Physician societies, government agencies, and others issue detailed recommendations for everything from who should receive cardiac stents to which antibiotics patients should get to avoid infections after knee surgery. These documents are essential for the provision of evidence-based care, as opposed to seat-of-the-pants treatment that might be expedient or lucrative for doctors but less than ideal for patients. (Oransky and Marcus, 6/13)
