Physical Health

1
Physical Health

• And the politics of same
• Women are sicker, Men die quicker.

2
Historical Overview-Then

• Hysteria of the late 1800s-1900s
• Brought on by possession of a hystera
• Treatments ovariotomy
• clitoridectomy

3
And now

• Women typically overlooked in research on
  diseases or disorders that affect both sexes
• Both early recent heart disease studies
  overlooked women

4
Women visit doctors more often

• With their children
• For birth control childbearing (but excluding
  them, still see drs more often)
• Routine scheduled visits-60 women
• Women seek help more often

5
Gender-role Stereotypes Consequences for
Physical health

• Men attempt to be stoic wait to seek help
• Men may also not want to lose work time
• Drs more likely to believe men have organic
  illness, women psychogenic (mood altering drugs
  for women 2x as often)

6
Why do women live longer?

• Probably taking care of themselves
• And likely estrogen (heart protection)
• Possibly support networks (stay tuned)
• Better immune systems (usually).
• But we may not live as healthy as men

7
Cardiovascular Disease

• 50 of the women having heart attacks die w/in a
  year
• 31 of the men do
• Strokes kill more white women than men
• 2x as often in Black women as white women

8
Lung Cancer

• 2nd leading cause of death among women of all
  ages
• 5 year survival rate a low 13
• Lung cancer death rate has not changed

9
STIs

• About 6 million women affected, about half are
  teenagers
• AIDS leading killer of Americans 25-44
• Leading cause of death in Africa, 4th worldwide
• Women w/ HIV seem to be at greater risk for
  developing AIDs than men

10
Other STIs

• Syphillis is still rising-can be treated
• Gonorrhea-about 50 of m/f are symptomatic
• Chlamydia-more frequent than above-possibly 10
  of some populations (in all SES groups)
• HPV-Human Papilloma Virus-present in 10-20 of
  women of reproductive age (increased risk of
  cervical cancer)

11
Lesbian Health

• Gay women are more likely to get breast/ovarian
  cancer
• Partly due to being childless
• Partly due to consumption of alcohol/cigarettes
• Poorer health care due to lack of insurance

12
Osteoporosis

• 80 of sufferers in U.S. are women
• Usually postmenopausal, increases dramatically w/
  age
• Unchangeable risk factors thin, female, W or
  Asian, light hair complexion, family history
• Changeable risk factors diet low in calcium (or
  high in pop consumption), exercise

13
Autoimmune diseases

• Arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis
• 10-15 women/1 man for lupus
• 4 women/1 man w/ rheumatoid arthritis
• About 3/1 man for M.S.

14
Alzheimers Disease

• Due to longevity, women get this more
• Brain deteriorates and memory loss occurs
• 10 of those over 65
• 47 of those over 85