Are men weaker than women according to medical science? Experts break it down

How often have we heard the debate of equity better than equality? But when it comes to access to medical health, what do you think we deserve? With different body physiology that goes beyond the surface-level understanding of the two different biological genders of the world, there is a need for fair health for all. But that would mean recognising we are different, our bodies need different things as multiple specialties of doctors emphasise that women’s mental health and physical health is more sensitive to their surroundings in comparison to men.

From psychological well-being to immune response to diseases, external support and more, both men and women need different things for a healthy life and we try to decode what that is! We spoke to different fields of doctors who stressed on identifying problems and working on an informed solution.

Dr. Mohammed Shahid Ali, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, Bengaluru said that when it comes to fair health for all, women need a special mention as there are multiple areas to address. “From diseases specific to women like breast and ovarian cancers, women also experience different mental challenges like postpartum depression, anxiety and stress at a very young age. Bone health plays a vital role as there is higher risk of osteoporosis among women in postmenopausal women owing to lesser oestrogen levels and poor exposure to sunlight which is a source of Vitamin D.”

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“Similarly, risk of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus etc. is high among women for unknown reasons. Urinary tract infections and urinary incontinence (leak)are slightly higher among women due to differences in the anatomy. Also, sexual health is one more aspect which is often neglected.”

He said that raising awareness about gender specific health issues can help to streamline screening, diagnosis and treatment protocols in an efficient way.

Men are weaker than women

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammed Afzal Siddiqui, Manipal Hospital Goa, wants the world to know that men are the weaker sex even though they are physically built stronger. He said, “Women tend to live longer than men and are more likely to suffer from diseases like chronic pain, UTI’s, migraines, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, mental health disorders etc. Men live shorter and are more likely to develop chronic diseases and at a younger age than women."

"Men are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson's disease, gout, renal stones, pancreatic cancers etc. Of the diseases that affect both genders but differently are heart attacks, sexually transmitted infections, migraines, hair fall, acne, mental health disorders etc. e.g. women are more likely to die of a heart attack than men, migraines are 3-4 times more common in women, depression, stress anxiety disorders are more common in women.”

There is enough research that 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.

Dr. Haroon, KMC Hospital, Mangalore said that 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.

He said, “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 symptoms.”

Women suffer more from mental health issues

The problem perpetuates amongst women more because they internalise it more than men usually. Mental health differences arise because women don’t talk about it much which then leads to chronic debilitating conditions. Men meanwhile have a higher prevalence of externalising disorders and life-threatening conditions.

Women live longer than men

According to several reports women generally live longer than men, but the health outcomes between the sexes vary depending on biological, environmental, and behavioural factors. Men have higher mortality rates but fewer problems with daily living activities, while women experience more inflammatory-related diseases.

Dr Sumana Y, Gleneagles Hospitals Bengaluru added that men and women’s health problems differ not just due to physiological differences but also due to psychological and social factors.

The expert said that the term "health problems" don’t just point towards the disease states, but also includes issues arising out of differences in health availability, accessibility and health seeking behaviours. All these factors have a role to play in creating differences in health problems in men and women.