Closing the Gender Health Gap: Understanding the Misconceptions and Seeking Solutions
In the realm of healthcare, women often receive inferior care and suffer worse outcomes compared to men. They experience higher rates of adverse drug reactions, are diagnosed later for various diseases, and are more likely to suffer from common mental health conditions. However, there is a glimmer of hope as the gender health gap is finally receiving the attention it deserves. Angela Saini, a journalist and author of “Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong,” sheds light on the misconceptions surrounding this issue and discusses what needs to change in order to close the gap.
Misunderstanding the Gender Health Gap
Saini emphasizes that many assumptions about sex and gender fail to explain the gaps observed in healthcare. Bold assertions are often made about men’s and women’s bodies being fundamentally different, requiring distinct systems of healthcare and research. However, Saini argues that sex only truly matters in certain contexts when it comes to health. Many gender health gaps are actually a result of sexism and misdiagnosis based on historical assumptions and myths in health research.
For instance, heart attacks are commonly associated with men, leading to delayed recognition of heart attack symptoms in women. Society’s gender assumptions play a significant role in this disparity. Saini clarifies that it is not a sex difference but rather the gender assumptions associated with certain conditions that contribute to this discrepancy. While public and academic awareness of gender health gaps has increased, deeper investigations are necessary to understand the underlying reasons behind these differences. Is it truly a sex difference or is it rooted in sexism?
Confusion in Identifying Differences
Saini highlights the case of the sleep drug zolpidem to illustrate how confusion arises in identifying differences between men and women. The US Food and Drug Administration approved different dosages for men and women based on the observation that women processed the drug more slowly. However, further research revealed that the difference was not due to an innate sex difference but rather correlated with weight. Saini questions why weight was not used as a measure for determining the appropriate dosage, rather than relying on sex or gender as a proxy. This example demonstrates the need to critically analyze differences and not hastily attribute them to sex or gender without understanding the root cause.
Another issue that arises is the underappreciation of women’s pain when they seek medical help. Common myths and assumptions, such as women being labeled as “hysterical,” often downplay the severity of their pain. These biases prevent a thorough examination of the underlying factors contributing to gender health gaps. Saini emphasizes the importance of dissecting these differences and understanding their root causes instead of making assumptions based on surface-level disparities.
Picking Apart Sex Differences and Sexism
To bridge the gender health gap, Saini suggests taking medicine to the next level of investigation by considering the social determinants of health. Many factors such as diet, stress, and societal treatment have significant impacts on health outcomes. Research into the effects of sexism, racism, and other social factors on health is relatively recent. Saini emphasizes that this is an ongoing project as social circumstances are constantly changing. While sex and gender are part of this social story, it is crucial to understand when they are appropriately invoked. Sometimes gender is relevant, and sometimes it is not. Similarly, sex may matter in certain contexts but not in others.
Obstacles to Progress
Research funding agencies primarily focus on exploring internal factors within our bodies to explain health disparities. The external world, with its ever-changing social circumstances, poses challenges in studying its impact on health. However, advancements in technology offer new opportunities to collect data on social circumstances. For instance, data from mobile phones can track individuals’ activity levels, eating habits, and movements. This data can contribute to building personalized pictures of individuals, moving away from generalizations about groups and understanding individuals as complex beings.
Progress in Understanding and Closing the Gender Health Gap
Sarah Richardson’s team at Harvard University, known as the GenderSci Lab, has made significant strides in breaking down the causes of gender health disparities. They encourage medical researchers to carefully consider the context of the conditions they investigate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Richardson’s team debunked pseudoscientific assumptions about gender differences in virus susceptibility. They highlighted the importance of demographic patterns, such as frontline workers and job types, in understanding the impact of the virus. Richardson’s work on sex contextualism provides a compelling model for incorporating sex and gender into research.
Closing the gender health gap requires a comprehensive approach that considers social determinants of health and challenges existing assumptions. While progress is being made, ongoing research and a deeper understanding of the root causes are necessary to ensure equitable healthcare for all genders. Angela Saini’s insights shed light on the misconceptions surrounding the gender health gap and provide a roadmap for future progress.
