Fair Health for All: How Men's and Women's Health Problems Can Differ

  •   Mon, Mar 11 2024
  •   By Dr Haroon H

March 11, 2024

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate women's achievements globally and raise awareness about the issues affecting their health. Gender gaps in health, such as workplace violence and sexual harassment, disproportionately affect women due to underreporting and social stigma.

Research shows that biological and social factors impact women's health differently from men, particularly in conditions like diabetes and heart disease. These unique challenges are influenced by biological, social, and environmental factors. Despite cardiovascular disease being a major cause of mortality among women, awareness about this risk is still limited. Women often experience delayed onset of heart disease symptoms compared to men.

Women of colour face additional health disparities, including higher risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV infection, and disability due to the intersectionality of gender and race/ethnicity. There are sex-based differences in immune responses to infections influenced by sex hormones and X-chromosome-encoded genes.

Men and women exhibit differences in psychological well-being, with men scoring higher on physical self-concept and cognitive flexibility, while women show higher expression of affect and somatic symptoms. Gender differences are apparent in psychological well-being; men tend to have higher scores on physical self-concept and cognitive flexibility, while women exhibit greater expression of affect and somatic symptom.

Mental health differences between genders contribute to physical health disparities, with women having a higher prevalence of internalizing disorders and chronic debilitating conditions, and men having a higher prevalence of externalizing disorders and life-threatening conditions.

Women generally live longer than men, but the health outcomes between the sexes vary depending on biological, environmental, and behavioural factors. Sex differences in health outcomes are not consistent across historical times and between countries. Men have higher mortality rates but fewer problems with daily living activities, while women experience more inflammatory-related diseases.

The male-female health-survival paradox suggests that men have lower disability rates but higher mortality, possibly due to biological and behavioural factors as well as methodological challenges in health research.

Men's and women's health issues can vary due to a range of biological, behavioural, and societal factors. These variances are evident in multiple facets of health and well-being, encompassing psychological wellness, susceptibility to specific illnesses, and overall health results.

Variances based on sex exist in immune responses to infections due to hormonal influences on biological pathways as well as genes encoded by the X chromosome.

In conclusion, men's and women's health problems differ in various dimensions, including psychological well-being, immune response to diseases, longevity, and prevalence of certain health conditions. These differences are influenced by a complex interplay of biological, behavioural, and societal factors. While there are distinct disparities, it is also important to recognize the areas where men and women are similar, as this can inform a more nuanced understanding of health issues across gender.

 

 

 
By Dr Haroon H
Dr Haroon H, MD is a consultant of internal medicine at KMC Hospital, Mangaluru
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