Psychology 320: Gender Psychology Lecture 54

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Psychology 320 Gender PsychologyLecture 54
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Invitational Office Hour Invitations, by Student
Number for March 11th 1130-1230, 330-430
Kenny 2517
12593083 12756078 29868098 66325044 67229088 76612
092
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Reminder
Paper topic due date March 11 (Option A or B,
2-3 sentence summary send to David at
dbking11_at_psych. ubc.ca).
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Physical Health
1. What factors account for sex differences in
health?
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By the end of todays class, you should be able
to
1. review biological factors that may contribute
to sex differences in mortality and morbidity.
2. distinguish between X-linked recessive
diseases and autoimmune diseases.
3. review health behaviours that contribute to
sex differences in mortality and morbidity.
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What factors account for sex differences in
health?

• There are three groups of factors that account
  for the documented sex differences in health
• Biological factors.
• Health behaviours.
• Gender-related factors.

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1. Biological Factors
(a) Genes

• XX vs. XY Having a second X chromosome
  suppresses the expression of many disorders
  among females, making females less likely than
  males to exhibit some congenital diseases (e.g.,
  haemophilia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy,
  X-linked agammaglobulinemia, Wiskott-Aldrich
  syndrome, Menkes disease, Fragile X syndrome).

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Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
Fragile X Syndrome
Menkes Disease
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(b) Hormones

• Research assessing the influence of estrogen on
  health has produced mixed findings

Prior to menopause, the relatively high levels of
estrogen among females appear to serve as a
protective factor against heart disease by
decreasing cholesterol levels.
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After menopause, however, hormone (e.g.,
estrogen) replacement therapy is associated with
an increased risk of heart disease, breast
cancer, and blood clots (Lowe, 2004 Shumaker et
al., 2003).
Oral contraceptives, many of which contain
estrogen, increase blood pressure, cholesterol
levels, and blood glucose levels.
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(c) Immune System

• Females have higher immunoglobulin levels than
  males (Schuurs Verheul, 1990).

• Females display greater immune responses to
  infection than males (Bouman et al., 2004
  Rieker Bird, 2005 Whitacre et al., 1999).

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• The heightened sensitivity of the immune system
  among females may account for the greater
  prevalence of autoimmune diseases among females
  than males (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
  graves disease, vasculitis).

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
Graves Disease
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Lupus
Vasculitis
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2. Health Behaviours
(a) Preventive Health Care

• Females are more likely than males to take
  vitamins, adopt a healthy diet, engage in
  self-exams, have a regular physician, obtain
  regular check-ups, take prescriptions as
  recommended, and return for follow- up
  appointments (Courtenay et al., 2002 Slesinski
  et al., 1996 Wardle et al., 2004).

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• Females are more likely than males to have a
  regular physician due to reproductive issues
  (Helgeson, 2009).

• Preventative health care coupled with early
  diagnosis and intervention due to regular
  physician visits may contribute to the
  relatively low mortality rate among females.

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Physical Health
1. What factors account for sex differences in
health?