Introduction
“Women get sick; men die” is a statement has been used to try to explain the existing inequality and differences in health between men and women (Marmot, 2006). This paper, seeks to find out the truth in this statement. The paper explores the relationship that exists between gender and health with focus being on gender and health inequalities. It seeks to answer the question of how health experiences in the varying genders can be used in planning and implementing working health policies and in putting up effective health intervention measures.
Gender and Health
Over the years, researchers have focused their interests on issues related to the gender inequalities that exist in terms of health. The research studies are aimed at finding an explanation for the differences that exist in female and male rates of mortality and morbidity and the various factors likely to influence health in both men and women (Connell, 2009). Women have been reported to show worse health conditions from their teenage years through to their middle ages while men have been found to have a higher likelihood of death at each and very age in their life.
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) in relation to the existing differences, women have been indicated as having higher morbidity rates and as those that record higher levels of medical drug use than the men. Though research indicates higher morbidity rates for the women, mortality rates are lower. These results make true the statement “Women get sick; men die”. Though conducted research studies have evidently indicated sex differences to influence the use of health care during ill health, gaps still remain in terms of sex and various medical complications (Stoverinck, 2010). This existing difference in health has been explained through various ways, these include:
Biological Factors
Sex variations in morbidity as influence by biological factors have been identified as resulting from a number of biological aspects that include pregnancy and birth as well as complications in the reproductive organs. It is a common belief that with women being the weaker sex, they are more likely to complain of illnesses or experienced symptoms of ill health more than the men. This means that they are more likely to seek medical care before the diseases takes toll on them a situation that is different from that of men.
Men will wait up until the disease has completely worn them out for them to seek medical care. This means that by the time to seek medical intervention the illness has fully developed thus making them more prone to death than the women (Stoverinck, 2010). This factor has been seen as being a great contributor to the existing high level of gender inequity ion general.
Existence of gender in accordance to some ideas is where there a distinction in the reproductive systems and also in some social processes. If one was to explore the concepts behind the gender matters in cases of pregnant women and their situation in maternity hospitals brings out the importance of the approach to spheres of human practices in the analysis of the manner in which the men and also the women relate with each other and also the process of this structuring and configuration. In this effect, the adoption of a relationship that is structured and the nature of gender towards a particular set of practices in the social behaviors can possibly be clearly shown and comprehended.
On the same terms with this aspect, gender conceptualization is the understanding the meaning behind the term women when speaking about the health of women and should be in terms of the man-woman relationships in the health service sector (Schofield, 2004).
Considering the fact that women have the possibility of portraying some agency in matters concerning health agencies which are dominated by men, evidence has it that this happens due to some significance in some constraints. The power of the medical grounds has challenges which can be portrayed by need for extra centers for child birth and “natural child birth” in common hospitals are some of the examples which otherwise are rare to come by.
The real course of the limits and also causes the subversion of the challenges in health facilities is the complexity in the arrangements within the institutions which play out how men relate to women and vice versa. According to Schofield (2004), some analysis of gender institutions and social facets like the family, law, the economy and the public sector show that there is an integral impact of the male sector.
Life Expectancy
According to common statistics, women have been rated to have a higher life expectancy as compared to their male counterparts. This is mainly due to the now significant differences in their hormones and also their genetic make over. Some studies have however differed with this stating that it is mainly due to the behavior of men and also the differences in culture which leads to the earlier death of men (Germov, 2009).
Some of the cultures include employment tendency in jobs which are very risky, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking which are also met by poor habits of eating. Men also do not tend to take good care of their health by constantly visiting hospitals. The conditions mentioned if mingled with social stress also heavily increase their mortality rate. According to some research done in England, in terms of “healthy life expectancy – HLE”, residents in most deprived areas of England live twice as much as those in the least struck. At birth, the HLE of males is 49.4 years in the wards which have been most deprived whilst it is 66.2 years in the other areas. This clearly shows that social status has a lot to do with the health of individuals in a very great manner
Behavioral concerns
Men are known to be greater risk takers than women do (Schofield, 2010). This can be derived from the high amount of alcohol consumption in Yorkshire where the figures have it that 50% of the men engage in drinking whilst only 25% of the women take alcohol. In this region, men have been recorded to drink more than it is recommended. Along the north western side of England, men are known to be binge drinkers. Over a quarter of men smoke and 33% of them use other drugs. In Asia, over 20% of the men smoke whilst the smoking women population is only about 5%. The recorded regions like Yorkshire have the most casualties in hospitals. Most of the affected are the whites.
Self care and inequalities in health
The inequalities vary with the demographics and have been shown to rise to high levels. Those people who reside in the deprived areas have been known to succumb to cancer and heart failures which are among the biggest risk factors. Men who are not in white collar jobs are the biggest victims of drug and alcohol related problems. The factors make them to have poor self care, health considerations and are in most cases health-wisely weak. In cities like Bradford, the inequalities in health are root causes of the high mortality rate in men as compared to the rate among women (Lorber, 1997).
This situation can be justified by the worldwide community though it will take some actions as a matter of agency in the local institutions, nationally and worldwide. The gross injustice in economic plans and power division are very relevant when it comes to matters of equity in health. This action does not portray ignorance of the other action levels. There is a lot of work which can be done by the local government and also the national governments. This is suppose to impress the way the local civil societies and local groups in the provision of help to the locals and also give a green light for the government to enforce change.
In one way or another, the changes in the global climate have got its impacts too. This is in the way that it impacts on the health of people and life on earth. It thus entails that apart from being concerned with the health equity per se; there should be a balance of health and the impact of the changes in climate.
Policy Formulation
By prioritizing on research and focusing on seeking explanations for the ever increasing gender inequalities in health, findings obtained can be use to identify the various factors that influence the existing differences. It is through research that the scope of the situation can be identified, its impacts assessed and programs developed as intervention measures or as a way of finding solutions to the identified problems.
One key intervention measure includes the planning and implementation of policies that will help in addressing the various factors related to gender health inequalities. In Australia for example, policy makers have not only represented but also understood the issue of health inequalities in terms of gender as a problem that requires being adequately addressed (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010).
One key way through which this problem can be addressed is through the utilization methods that are technocratic and that enforce considerable limits to ability of the implemented health policies to provide solutions to the identified problems. The approach selected should be one that strongly perceives gender issues and health inequalities as problems that arise from the institutionalization of gender inequality in the society as well as the entire system.
The approach should also understand the solutions for the problem as being the promotion of democracy and gender equitability in terms of participation of both males and females in policy formulation and implementation. One major challenge in the implementation of this approach is the various limitations evident the process of formulating and implementing technocratic health policies and especially those that relate to equity issues, as well as the significance of using essential sociological tools that are both methodological and theoretical.
The policy which has been vested on gender matters and health issues is supposed to include those initiatives that have an extension far flung from the conventional policies of health and health services due to other matters like social dimensions, economic realms and themes of power vested on different gender. This is in accordance with a statement posted by the “Public Health Association of Australia”. In this regard, the association is in support of such issues as; putting into mainstream all the gender issues and perspectives in national and sate formulations and also formulations regarding the local authorities in those areas that have an impact on health which includes children matters, family care, public spaces for recreation, Medicare and ageing.
The association also advocates for an analysis in terms of gender on support from the income earned and also the families in a bid to ensure that the gender theory and issues on the “gendered social advantage” are critically considered. There is also an introduction of reproductive health programs and also income supportive programs which are duly informed by the diversity of gender and also the gender theory.
Of some other utmost importance of trying to curb this effect i8s the introduction of equity in workplace invocations between the different gender groups. The law should also come in to ensure that judicial services and correctional facilities ensure that both men and women have the opportunity to enjoy equitable services and amenities. On transport issues, the association pursues safety in public areas and also in transport systems such that mobility is increased and also that the services are accessible to both men and women in a fair manner.
Recommendations
An approach to the life stages as the framework for a gender mainstreams into formation of health policies, incorporation and comprehension of both gender and health in key life stages. The should also be a bit of improvement in the research on differences which range in between gender and other factors which affect empowerment issues like economic status of the individuals.
There is a need for an increase in focus on research and policies which should go in line with the increase in the fatal and chronic ailments on the way in which the behavior aspects and relational perspectives of the “gendered existence” which are crucial in the decisions and conditions which engage the individuals in health risks and dangers. They should also be initiatives which seek to involve men who are deprived in decision making processes which impact on allocation of their health facilities like through consultations, and putting up of recruitment drives.
The health and gender issue is closely related to democracy and governance and the way this relates to “policy formulation and public resource distribution”. This principle has some truth in it in that it tries to guide how people think about some problem sets which affect the male population and the way people think about women. On analyzing gender theories, Schofield (2004) suggests that the unity of women in their interests has some conceptual and political viability.
The above recommendations can be resolved by of an all inclusive gender policy and focus on gender research in a bid to pin point and deal with inequities which grow from the social health impacts. Advocacy in search matters can also be enhanced through a formation of alliances with the right individuals. Incorporation of developmental processes in the formation of policies that affect the diverse genders is also of paramount importance.
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010) Australia’s Health 2010. Australia’s Health, 12( AUS 122) Canberra: AIWH.
Connell, R. (2009) Gender (2nd edn).Cambridge: Polity Press.
Germov, J. (ed.) (2009) Second Opinion: An Introduction to Health Sociology, (4th edn). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Lorber, J. (1997) Gender and the Social Construction of Illness. London: Sage.
Marmot, M. (2006) “Health in an unequal world”, Lancet, 368, 2081-94.
Schofield, T. (2010) “Men’s health” in E. Annandale and E. Kuhlmann (eds) International Handbook of Gender and Healthcare. London: Palgrave McMillan.
Schofield, T. (2004) Boutique Health: Gender and Equity in Health Policy, Australian Health Policy Institute: The University of Sydney.
Stoverinck , M. J. (2010)”Sex differences in health problems, diagnostic testing, and referral in primary care”. Journal of Family Practice, 6:43.