Feminism meets the “new” epidemiologies: toward an appraisal of antifeminist biases in epidemiological research on womenʹs health

This essay explores an alternative paradigm for epidemiology, one which is explicitly informed by a feminist perspective. We intend to expand upon recent critiques and debates within the emergent fields of “critical”, “popular”, and “alternative” epidemiology to examine how epidemiologyʹs conceptual models — which are meant to contribute to the prevention of social inequalities in health, but may instead reinforce social hierarchies based on gender, race, and class — constrain our understanding of health and disease. Specifically, we examine persistent antifeminist biases in contemporary epidemiological research on womenʹs health. Issues highlighted include: problem definition and knowledge production in womenʹs health; biological essentialization of women as reproducers; and decontextualization and depoliticization of womenʹs health risks. As part of this critique, we include suggestions for an emancipatory epidemiology that incorporates an alternative feminist framework.