5 Diseases That Affect Women: Awareness and Prevention Tips

Health is supposed to be gender-neutral. But is it, really?

As of 2024, males comprised 50.28% of the world's 8.2 billion population, while women represented 49.72%. For the number aficionados, that's close to 3.97 billion people who were AFABs.

In a world that is slowly warming up to the concept of equality of genders (or equity), healthcare shouldn't matter if you are a man or a woman, right?... Right?

Well, I hate to break it to you, but as much as we'd like to believe that our health is independent of our biological sex, the reality is very different. According to McKinsey, in 2020, only 1% of healthcare research and innovation funding was directed toward female-specific conditions, excluding oncology.

And if you dig deeper, beyond cancer, the only other area where there is funding for research is reproductive health. But isn't women's health much more than just reproductive health? When one-half of the entire global population is female, this discrimination in healthcare feels personal. Let's talk about it.

Inherently, men and women are different right from birth. The way our bodies are conceived determines our susceptibility to diseases, their prevention, diagnosis, and even treatments. According to the Institute of Medicine, "every cell has a sex," and differences in sex can ultimately impact all tissues, organs, and bodily functions.

We have all watched a show or a movie that depicted a man having a heart attack. Shooting pain in the arm and chest. It is such a common scene that now we have internalised that this is simply how a heart attack must feel. It seems more common in men, as we often hear about it or see it on TV, with men mostly affected.

It's not just that men and women are equally likely to have heart attacks, the symptoms in women are a lot different from what they show on TV. But that has become the general consensus about heart attacks, and the worst part is women are more than twice as likely to die after a heart attack than men.

Why is that?

When it comes to symptoms, they are more varied in women. Pain is not the only indicator of a heart attack for women. In fact, more than 40% of women have no pain with heart attacks. Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness or fainting, vomiting, fatigue, and pain in the back, shoulders, and jaw.

Also, when we think of heart attacks, we often associate them with men. This perception is widespread and could very well be contributing to the failure to recognise that a woman presenting with symptoms is, in fact, experiencing a heart attack.

Another condition that affects women disproportionately is autoimmune disorders. This is when your body's immune system starts attacking your body instead of defending it. The connection is almost poetic.

So, how disproportionately, you ask? Of all people living with autoimmune diseases, almost 80% are women.

Why is that?

A recent 2024 study published by Stanford University suggests the discovery of a molecule present only in women. It initiates a chemical response characteristic of autoimmune diseases, which may help explain why these conditions are more common in women.

However, even though there is research that possibly highlights the gaps, there is still a sore lack of funding that needs to be made to make any real breakthroughs.

Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Attacks

According to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in Prague in 2023, Women are more than twice as likely to die after a heart attack than men. These stats are troubling as it begs the question - are women receiving incorrect diagnoses? Are they not receiving urgent treatment? (which is essential when it comes to heart attacks)

Are they being heard?

Previous studies have shown that women are, in fact, 50% more likely than men to receive an incorrect diagnosis after a heart attack. In October 2024, the British Cardiovascular Society reported that women continue to be underdiagnosed and undertreated for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The thing is, it all boils down to the amount of research done on women. Women were not substantially included in cardiovascular disease clinical trials until the late 1990s, meaning we haven't studied heart disease patterns in women for long.

Research shows that women are significantly less likely than men to receive life saving treatments, such as heart transplants. They are also less likely to receive guideline-recommended care following a heart attack or to receive timely treatment.

So it's quite simple, really. Women suffering from practically any disease get diagnosed later, get diagnosed wrong, and then receive the wrong treatment. That certainly does not paint our healthcare sector in an inclusive light, does it?

HIV

Surprise surprise! Women are more at risk of HIV than men. The risk of transmission during heterosexual sex is approximately twice as high for women as it is for men. Receptive sex is generally riskier than insertive sex. Gender inequalities also play a significant role, as women are more likely to be exposed to unsafe sexual situations due to factors such as vulnerability to rape, relationships with older men, and unequal access to education and economic opportunities.

Statistics indicate that the proportion of adults living with HIV/AIDS who are women has been gradually rising. In 1997, women made up 41% of those affected, while in 2000, the figure increased to 47%. In 2016, 52% of the ones living with AIDS were women, and in 2023, the number was 53%. See the rise? This is despite the number of people getting infected HIV has decreased 60% since its peak in 1995.

It is not just HIV, whenever it comes to sexual health, women are always the hardest hit, be it because of increased risk from UTIs, STIs, or any other infection. But we still lack enough sexual education and even sexual awareness, especially when it comes to women.

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases—lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disorders—occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's healthy cells. They are the third most common disease category after cancer and heart disease.

Women account for 80% of those affected, with 75% having one or more autoimmune diseases. Despite this, it often takes an average of five years for women to receive a diagnosis.

There's been recent research that suggests that sex hormones, environmental factors, and having two X chromosomes may contribute to women's higher susceptibility, with estrogen and progesterone influencing disease development.

How much of this research leads to any real breakthroughs remains to be seen.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, increasing the risk of injuries or fractures. According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention data, 13.1% of females aged 50–64 had osteoporosis in 2017–2018, with this number rising to 27.1% for females aged 65 and older. For males aged 50–64, 3.3% had osteoporosis, and this figure increases slightly to 5.7% in those aged 65 and older. Globally, osteoporosis affects approximately 200 million women.

Women typically have thinner, smaller bones and less bone tissue than men. The moment you celebrate your 30th birthday, and your estrogen level starts to drop, the bones start to lose density as well.

A 2021 report from the CDC examined the prevalence of osteoporosis in adults aged 50 and older between 2017 and 2018 and found that 19.6% of women had osteoporosis, compared to 4.4% of men.

Mental Health Disorders

Mental health issues like depression and anxiety are actually more prevalent in women, with women being almost twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression.

Autism and ADHD are some of the neurodevelopmental disorders that have chronically been mis- or under-diagnosed or diagnosed later in life for women.

ADHD is less frequently diagnosed in females than in males, particularly during childhood, with the male-to-female ratio ranging from 2:1 to a staggering 10:1. Additionally, females are usually diagnosed later than males and are less likely to be prescribed medication for ADHD.

The research gap does not only affect women suffering from ADHD, Autism research too is male-dominated. In neuroimaging studies, the study of the brain's anatomy, for every 15 male candidates selected for trials, only one woman gets the nod.

Recently, the conversation around mental health has been changing, and more and more women are getting diagnosed at later stages in life. This has to do with a deep-seated bias regarding women's mental health. Symptoms for both ADHD and autism present differently in women than men, but the signs are only diagnosed concerning symptoms presented in men. This is because, historically, research has only been focused on men. Can you see a trend here?

Why is it that when women complain of pain, they are "probably overreacting"?

And why do women feel the shame to report the pain when they do? And why do they try to undermine its intensity? The misogynistic generalisation of women "overreacting" to pain is so old that they had a word for it. Hysteria. Look it up.

A recent study discovered that pain is processed differently in men and women. Specialised cells that produce pain signals react differently in animals and humans based on biological sex. So, if that is the case, why is there a bias?

In a study by the University of Miami in 2021, researchers found that even when male and female patients expressed the same amount of pain, the female patient's pain was less acute compared to the men's. Not only that but it was also suggested that psychotherapy would be more beneficial than medication.

Which brings me to another facet of how women's pain is treated. There have been troubling studies as old as 1990 that have shown that women are more likely than men to be given sedatives than actual painkillers.

The gender bias in medicine has been proven lethal for women. When our healthcare is inherently flawed, it presents a glum picture. A wholly unfair one.

There is a severe lack of medical research on women's bodies, as women have historically been underrepresented and even excluded from studies, and we are only now talking about it. Why does women's health take a backseat? Let's take a look at each factor individually.

• Sociocultural -

Women are at a disadvantage from an early age concerning education and employment opportunities. When women rely on men financially, it can be more challenging for us to take charge of their health and well-being.

We live in a patriarchal society; there's no two ways about it. And women have since long paid the price for it. There is an unequivocal power imbalance between men and women in most societies, which impacts education, employment, and health, amongst other things. Also, women have historically been seen as tools to assist men and bearers of their children. A mere tool, not an entity.

That is why society always prioritised the well-being of men and conducted all the healthcare research on men, leaving women in the darkness.

• Religious -

Aah, good old religion. Which has traditionally only served men.

Religious doctrines have long dictated how women conduct themselves, how much they express, what is untoward, and what is considered dutiful. This has been ingrained in women for centuries.

Even in 2024, women are considered "unholy" during menstruation. They have to wear clothes in a certain way to show "respect". Let's just say patriarchy and religion act hand-in-hand in this theatre of oppression.

Naturally, religion dictates which problems women can talk about and which problems are completely "women's problems" that need to be swept under the rug. This dramatically reduces the number of women whom researchers can approach and research.

• Gender bias -

Now comes the mother of all biases. As a rule, women are considered dainty, fragile, and delicate beings. No matter how crowded a bus you take to the office every day, you are still not "tough" enough to handle the complications of healthcare information for researchers.

• Political -

Political regimes have direct control over women's health. We, as a society, do not think women are emotionally stable enough to handle this. Let's talk about why women give birth on their backs. It can be credited to King Louis XIV (1638-1715), who altered the birthing process just because he liked it!! Not kidding!

The decision on women's health has been in everybody's hands, but women's. Society deems women too emotionally "unstable" (yeah, 2024 standards) to handle law and policy, and others get to make and choose what women are supposed to do with their bodies.

In a situation like this, it is pretty obvious that women's health would not be researched sufficiently.

• Economic -

Gender gaps in employment, pay disparity, and lack of benefits can contribute to women's health.

According to the International Labour Organization, currently, the global labour force participation rate for women is just below 47%. At the same time, for men, it stands at 72%.

The stats for India look even gloomier. As of 2023, men in the labour force make up 76.8% while women stand at 32.7%.

Where men have more buying power, it is obvious that companies will make cures for them.

While there is so much beyond our control, some aspects of our health are within our grasp. Let's take a quick look-

• Educate Yourself - Understand that a lot of our health depends on our genetics. Being aware of family history and taking preventative care is never a bad idea and could go miles to help us. Understanding possible threats, identifying them correctly and seeking proper guidance is paramount.

Take time to read up on or watch educational videos about your symptoms and what they could contribute to. Being mindful and taking care of your health might save you from something bigger and more painful in the future.

• Eat clean, good food- I know it's just so convenient to open Zomato and order your favourite food. And even though we all have those days, let's maybe not make it a habit. Your body will thank you for it. Being mindful of what is on the menu goes a long way.

While it is impossible to cook food every day, it is good to maintain a healthy balance. Eating home-cooked food, focusing on the ingredients, and choosing fruits and vegetables that aid the needs of a woman's body can save her from many unwanted visits to the clinic.

• Practice good hygiene- Hygiene is important in all aspects of a woman's life. Sexual hygiene habits like peeing after sex, using toilet seat sanitisers when using public restrooms, and washing your hands after changing a menstrual product are very important.

• Lift weights—As a woman, this is imperative. Build your muscle. When you strength train, you strengthen your bones and protect your joints from injury. It increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. It's good for your heart and mind as well!

• Go for regular checkups—This cannot be stressed enough. If you're over 30, go to your health screenings, speak to your gynaecologist, take precautionary measures, Enrol in health insurance, and prioritise yourself.

“It’s probably nothing”.

“It’s all in your head.”

“You’re overthinking it.”

No.

You are not.

Complain. Scream it out loud. Be inconvenient.

Make sure that you don't stop yourself from going to see a doctor if you suspect you are experiencing a symptom. Do not downplay your pain. The more women visit doctors, the more awareness is raised on our health and the more research gets conducted. The more research is conducted, the more awareness there is of women’s bodies and health and the more we can expect to get a correct diagnosis and treatment.

I know reality is probably not this cut and dry but it’s never too late to talk about it.