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Gender inequality significantly impacts health outcomes between males and females. Biological differences do play a role in health disparities, but social, economic, and cultural factors amplify these inequalities. Women often face barriers to accessing healthcare, experience higher rates of violence, and bear the brunt of unpaid care work, which affects their overall health and well-being. Conversely, men might underreport health issues due to societal expectations of masculinity, leading to delayed diagnoses and treatment.

Addressing gender inequalities requires comprehensive approaches that promote gender-sensitive healthcare policies, enhance access to education, and challenge societal norms. By fostering equity, we can create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health, regardless of gender.

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General differences between men and women's health

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General differences between men and women's health

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In 2017, the difference in life expectancy between men and women was 5 years. For women it was 81.1, and for males it was 76.1. Men are known to fall ill at a younger age than women, for example men are nearly 10 times more likely to get inguinal hernias than women, and 5 times more likely to have aortic aneurysms. The difference in health between men and women is thought to be due to many different factors:

Biological factors

Sex chromosomes

Hormones

Reproductive anatomy (?)

Metabolism

Social factors

Work stress

Lack of social networks and supports

Behavioral factors

Risky behavior

Aggression and violence

Smoking

Alcohol and substance abuse

Diet

Lack of exercise

Lack of routine medical care

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In the UK, the average life expectancy for females from 2020 to 2022 was 82.6 years. some reasons women have a longer life expectancy:

biological factors - Women's bodies may be better able to withstand the physical demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. Estrogen may also help reduce cholesterol levels and prevent DNA damage that can lead to disease.

Lifestyle factors - Women may be more likely to eat healthier, drink less alcohol, and use less tobacco. They may also be more likely to visit the doctor earlier and more often.

(Vriend, Gazzillo ,2023)

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how does being male affect your life expectancy

Being male generally affects life expectancy negatively compared to being female. On average, women tend to live longer than men1. For instance, in 2021, the global life expectancy was about 73.8 years for women and 68.4 years for men, resulting in a roughly 5-year gap.

Several factors contribute to this difference:

1. Biological Factors: Some theories suggest that biological differences, such as hormonal variations, might play a role in women's longer life expectancy.

2. Behavioral Factors: Men are more likely to engage in riskier behaviors, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and dangerous activities, which can lead to higher mortality rates.

3. Healthcare Utilization: Men often seek medical help less frequently than women, which can delay the diagnosis and treatment of health issues.

4. Occupational Hazards: Men are more likely to work in high-risk occupations, such as construction and mining, which can increase the likelihood of accidents and injuries.

5. Social and Psychological Factors: Men might be less likely to seek support for mental health issues, which can contribute to higher rates of suicide and other mental health-related deaths.

These factors combined result in a lower average life expectancy for men compared to women. However, it's important to note that these are general trends and individual life expectancy can vary widely based on lifestyle choices, access to healthcare, and other personal factors.

(Ortiz-Ospina and Beltekian, 2023)

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Men are universally more likely to report their health as good than women

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One reason for men having a lower life expectancy could be due to an alteration in their perception of health compared to women.

Statistics show that men are universally more likely to report their health as being in good condition than women. 66% of women and 71% of men report being in good health, and in adolescents this is 30% for women and 39% for men. This is also seen across most countries and across different ages, so it is universal.

The perception by men that they are in good health, or refusal to admit being in poor health, could mean they are neglecting their needs for healthcare and help. If they are not as healthy as they perceive, this could lead to worsening illness and earlier death, therefore explaining the lower life expectancy for men as opposed to women.

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life expectancy for men in the working class is lower than for men in higher-paid occupations, men in the most deprived areas have a life expectancy of 74.1 years, while men in the least deprived areas have a life expectancy of 83.5 years. some reasons for this is:

living conditions - this could mean living in a run down house with mould, not being able to afford heating or contaminated water

limited access to healthcare - this could be because they need to work everyday of the week so they don't have time to book in with the doctor

low educational attainment - if you don't have good access to education or have poor attendance this can lead to poor paying jobs in the future and impact access to good-quality housing

(Pratt, 2022)

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Middle class is full of well enducated professionals,. The middle class is based off fincale security and vaules home owner ship and health insurance.

There is no offical standard but they prize themselves off of education, home ownership and standers of education for their children.

Life expectancy for middle class men is around 78.9 years old.

(Elliott, 2024)

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Women in the poorest 10% of areas in England live an average of 78.7 years, while women in the richest 10% live an average of 86.4 years. some reasons for this are:

health risk factors - Smoking and obesity are more common in deprived groups and can lead to heart and respiratory disease, and lung cancer so the male morbidity rate goes up. this could be because they are not educated properly on the effects, more prone to peer pressure or they may have higher levels of stress causing smoking to relive it.

cost of healthy food - The price of healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables has increased leaving people to eat processed food which is quicker and easier to eat and if they are working long and late hours its more convenient.

(White, 2011)

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The life expectancy for working class females in Englan is 82.2 years of age.

Related topics to women in the work class are:

1) Income.

Women contribuated almost the entirely to the income raise of the middle class over the past 45 years.

2) Childcare.

Women in child care roles will be more supported as of a increase of childcare invesments happen.

3) Gender-based budgeting.

Gender-based budgeting could be a public policy tool to help revive the economy.

4) The Female Middle Class Emigration Society.

The FMCES was a feminist organization founded in 1862 by Maria Rye, Jane E. Lewin, Emily Faithfull, and Elizabeth (Bessie) Rayner Parkes. The FMCES aimed to promote women's economic independence by helping them emigrate to the colonies.

5) Women's self-other orientations.

A study found that middle-class women report strong connections to and trust in family and friends.

6) Cost of living.

Women save 35% less than men on average, which means they have less of a safety net from cost-of-living increase.

(Office For National Statistics, 2024)

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The Equality Act protects everyone in Britain against discrimination. This is because of the protected characteristics that we all have.

Under the Equality Act, there are nine protected characteristics:

age

disability

gender reassignment

marriage and civil partnership

pregnancy and maternity

race

religion or belief

sex

sexual orientation

The Equality Act 2010 includes provisions that ban age discrimination against adults in the provision of services and public function (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2020)

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Women actually suffer more from certain health problems than men, despite higher life expectancy.

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Contrastingly, other statistics show that although women have a higher life expectancy than men, they actually suffer from some health conditions more commonly than men.

For example:

Women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression.

Women and men have heart attacks at similar rates, but women are more likely to die as a result.

Women make up about 78% of patients with autoimmune diseases.

Women are more likely to have chronic pain than men, but women are less likely to receive treatment. (National Institutes of Health, 2023).

This shows that although women have a higher life expectancy than men, women actually suffer from worse health than men in other areas. Therefore, it cannot be generalised that women are healthier than men because of a longer life expectancy.

National Institutes of Health (2023). Sex and Gender in Health and Disease | Office of Research on Women’s Health. [online] orwh.od.nih.gov. Available at: https://orwh.od.nih.gov/sex-gender/sex-and-gender-in-health-and-disease.

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Men are more affected by health due to the fact they are less likley to vist doctors and GPs to get health check ups or even go to clincs when they are ill. Men are also twice as likely to die from premature illnesses due to the fact they dont go to the check ups or seek help. The main causes of death for males is death from alchol , drug useage and suicide.

(The King’s Fund, 2024)

Underlying causes of mens health stems from,

1) socio-econmic factors.

2) proteced characters.

3) behavioural factors.

4) health-seeking behaviours.

5) psycholigcal factors.

There are several risk factors that are more common among men than women in the UK. Evidence suggests that there are certain health inequalities between distinct groups of men, as well as other populations, including transgender and non-binary communities.

(Ramsay and Bunn, 2024)

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women's health inequality's linked to gender

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women's health inequality's linked to gender

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while women generally live longer than men, they spend a greater proportion of their lives in ill health. Non-fatal conditions that cause illness and disability, such as

musculoskeletal problems

mental health issues

headache disorders are particularly affect women, researchers found At the same time men are disproportionally affected by conditions that cause premature death, such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory and liver diseases, Covid-19 and road injuries.

poverty can effect a women's health, Making it harder to live healthily – our ability to adopt healthy behaviours is influenced by the circumstances in which we live. For example, having the resources to buy healthy food, or access to green, safe and affordable spaces to be physically active in. (RCOG, 2019)

Affecting mental health – unemployment, poor quality work and insufficient income are associated with poor long-term mental health

autism Around three times as many boys are diagnosed with autism as girls, and girls are often diagnosed later than boys, or not diagnosed at all, which can lead to mental health problems in adulthood

Autoimmune conditions

Autoimmune diseases are those that stimulate the body's immune defences to attack itself and include lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid diseases.

After cancer and heart disease, they are the third most prevalent disease category.

Women account for the majority of people (80%) with autoimmune diseases, but it takes an average of five years for them to get a diagnosis (Whiting, 2024)

In October 2024, research from the British Cardiovascular Societies found women are still being underdiagnosed and undertreated for cardiovascular disease (CVD). (Whiting, 2024)

Pregnancy presents a unique opportunity in a woman's life course to consider her health over the long term. It is known that pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension are associated with later life risks for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (McAuliffe, 2023)