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Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation for the National Institutes of Health

Completed

The ability to collect high quality information about the status of the broad range of sexual and gender diverse populations has been hampered by the lack of consistent and reliable measures that are available to identify these populations in research and administrative data. This study brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts to develop clear guidelines outlining the guiding principles and best practices for collecting sexual orientation and gender identity information in research and non-research surveys, along with medical and other administrative records in order to improve the NIH’s ability to identify and address the specific needs of these populations.

Description

An ad hoc panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will review current measures and the methodological issues related to measuring sex as a non-binary construct, gender identity, and sexual orientation in surveys and research studies, in administrative settings (such as grant and job applications), and in clinical settings (such as doctors’ offices or clinical trials). As part of its information-gathering activities, the panel will hold a virtual, 1.5-day public workshop to get input from researchers in sexual and gender minority health and well-being, academic and government researchers doing work on measuring these concepts, members of sexual and gender diverse populations, and policy makers and other users of these data. The panel will produce a consensus report with conclusions and recommendations on 1) guiding principles for collecting data on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, and 2) recommended measures for these constructs in different settings.

Collaborators

Committee

Co-Chair

Co-Chair

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Sponsors

Department of Health and Human Services

Staff

Brian Harris-Kojetin

Lead

Tara Becker

Lead

Eric Grimes

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