For example, unmedicated female hypertensives have been found to perform more poorly on perceptual tasks than unmedicated male hypertensives. Impaired neuropsychological function in female hypertensives prior to tretment may predispose to greater impairments during medication. Black women are at particular risk, as they have been shown in recent surveys to have the highest prevalence of hypertension among all groups surveyed. Yet only one hypertensive drug trial has recruited sufficient numbers of Black women to allow comparisons of blood pressure response, quality of life and objectively assessed psychomotor side effect profiles with Black men. Data are also shown suggesting that women have different standards of preferred health states, potentially impacting on their responses to side effects during treatment.
Numerous issues related to gender come to mind.
Gender bias can be seen in medical research, medical training, psychiatric diagnoses, and prescription practices. A feminist psychiatrist attends to these biases. In addition, a feminist practitioner uses the principles of feminism and feminist therapy in all aspects of her work. This includes an understanding of the history of the study of women's psychology, the study of psychological trauma, the newer models of women's development and psychology, and societal and cultural influences on these. These are all relevant in addressing the transference and countertransference issues that arise in the evaluation for and prescription of medications.