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As time goes on, many outdated ideas about gender—like the notion that women can’t play sports or that men should stay out of the kitchen—have happily gone the way of beehive hairdos and Jello salads. But plenty of stereotypes about gender persist. In many cases, they can negatively influence your health, including the way you assess your risk for certain conditions or the likelihood you’ll seek and find effective medical care. Here’s how five common assumptions measure up against science.
Sources: Desai S, Munshi A, Munshi D. Gender Bias... + 17
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- Engler RJ, Nelson MR, Klote MM, et al. Half- vs full-dose trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (2004-2005): age, dose, and sex effects on immune responses. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(22):2405-2414.
- Sue K. The science behind "man flu". BMJ. 2017;359:j5560. Published 2017 Dec 11.
- Robert H. Shmerling, MD. Is "man flu" really a thing? Harvard Health Blog. Harvard Health Publishing. February 6, 2020.
- Dhindsa S, Zhang N, McPhaul MJ, et al. Association of Circulating Sex Hormones With Inflammation and Disease Severity in Patients With COVID-19. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(5):e2111398. Published 2021 May 3.
- Furman D, Hejblum BP, Simon N, et al. Systems analysis of sex differences reveals an immunosuppressive role for testosterone in the response to influenza vaccination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(2):869-874.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Frequently Asked Questions. Last updated: January 2023.
- Eapen RS, Radomski SB. Gender differences in overactive bladder. Can J Urol. 2016;23(Suppl 1):2-9.
- Frederick DA, John HKS, Garcia JR, Lloyd EA. Differences in Orgasm Frequency Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men and Women in a U.S. National Sample. Arch Sex Behav. 2018;47(1):273-288.
- Bhat GS, Shastry A. Time to Orgasm in Women in a Monogamous Stable Heterosexual Relationship. J Sex Med. 2020;17(4):749-760.
- InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Premature ejaculation: Overview. 2019 Sep 12.
- Pool GJ, Schwegler AF, Theodore BR, Fuchs PN. Role of gender norms and group identification on hypothetical and experimental pain tolerance. Pain. 2007;129(1-2):122-129.
- Fillingim RB, King CD, Ribeiro-Dasilva MC, Rahim-Williams B, Riley JL 3rd. Sex, gender, and pain: a review of recent clinical and experimental findings. J Pain. 2009;10(5):447-485.
- Hunt K, Adamson J, Hewitt C, Nazareth I. Do women consult more than men? A review of gender and consultation for back pain and headache. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2011;16(2):108-117.
- Oliffe JL, Ogrodniczuk JS, Gordon SJ, et al. Stigma in Male Depression and Suicide: A Canadian Sex Comparison Study. Community Ment Health J. 2016;52(3):302-310.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide Prevention. Disparities in Suicide. Last Reviewed: November 2, 2022.
