GENDER

Why gender matters to health

NHS evidence has shown that treating women and men the same, without considering the differences between them, means that underlying gender-related links to health problems are ignored and patients’ health needs are not met.

Women and men’s use of the health service is influenced by a whole range of factors other than biological. There are significant differences in men and women’s living and working conditions, income and power, all of which can create health risks. Also, because men and women expect and are expected to behave in different ways, they take different health risks and respond in different ways to health messages and services.

Health services need to take these gender differences into account to ensure that equal opportunities for good health are being provided.

For example we know that one in four women are likely to experience domestic abuse over their life course and that prevalence rates for child sexual abuse are estimated at around 21% of girls and 7% of boys. We also know that the physical and mental health consequences of gender-based violence are profound. Consequently we need to ensure that our services take into account the possibility of gender-based violence being a contributing factor to the health issue that they have sought support or treatment for.

Other examples of where gender expectations affect health are:

In NHS GG&C, like the whole of Scotland, women are between two and two and a half times more likely to report experiencing depression and anxiety than men.

Suicide rates are almost three times higher in men than in women.

Men are more likely than women to die of injuries outside the home.

The gap between women's and men's smoking rates is changing, with more young girls taking up the habit than boys.

Young men aged 16-24 are most at risk of becoming a victim of violent crime

Some diseases have been seen solely as ‘women’s’ or ‘men’s’ diseases due to gendered biases in medical research, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment (e.g. heart disease – leading cause of mortality in UK women but still seen as a ‘male disease’).

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