Most Women Willing to Join Trials, Few Invited

Only 11% of surveyed women said they had ever been asked to take part in a clinical study.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Women’s Health

Bold vector editorial illustration of empty glass vials in a cream tray beside an open doorway of warm light in a plain clinic corridor. — Only 11% of surveyed women said they had ever been asked to join a clinical trial, though most said they were willing, a 5,301-person survey found. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

If invited, would you be willing to join a clinical trial?

A survey of 5,301 women aged 18 to 70, published in Scientific Reports, found most are willing to join clinical trials but few are ever asked. Only 11% of respondents said they had ever been invited to take part in a clinical study, and 7% of those invited enrolled.

Why it matters

Women have historically been underrepresented in clinical research, so the gap between willingness and invitation matters for how well future treatments fit women's bodies and needs. The authors frame participation as shaped by social and structural factors, not only by individual interest.

The study surveyed 5,301 women aged 18 to 70 and reported willingness to join trials alongside race, education, and health status. Higher educational attainment and multimorbidity predicted greater willingness, while willingness was lower among Black women than White women in adjusted models.

The players

Scientific Reports

An open-access peer-reviewed journal from the Nature Portfolio that publishes research across the natural and health sciences.

The details

The survey asked women directly about their willingness to join clinical trials, then examined how that willingness varied by race alongside socioeconomic status, healthcare access, and self-reported health. Most respondents were White (77%), with Black women (14%) and Asian women (7%) making up smaller shares of the sample. The authors attribute participation patterns to social and structural determinants rather than individual attitudes alone.

Survey results were published in Scientific Reports on November 9, 2026.

Health Landscape

Clinical trial diversity has been a long-running concern in medical research, with women and racial minorities often underrepresented relative to the populations who will use the resulting treatments. This survey adds evidence that the bottleneck may lie in recruitment outreach, not only in women's reluctance to participate.

If you have never been asked to join a study, that absence reflects recruitment gaps rather than your eligibility or interest, and it is worth asking your clinician whether any trials in your area fit your health history. The survey suggests that women with more health conditions may be more willing to participate, so those managing ongoing illness may find trial information especially relevant to discuss with their doctor.

The takeaway

Most women surveyed are willing to join clinical trials, yet very few are ever invited, which points to outreach as a fixable barrier. If you are interested in research participation, ask your physician whether any studies relevant to your health are recruiting nearby.