Intro | Gender | Diversity | References

Introduction

Gender impacts on women’s health in a multitude of ways and gender differences exist across most health diagnoses. Risk factors for women’s health include, but are not limited to, women’s socio-economic status, age, geographical location, sexuality and sexual behaviour. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are also at increased risk, with a life expectancy rate of approximately 17 years less than non-Aboriginal women[1].

Gender

A snapshot of women’s health statistics shows that:

• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer for women in Victoria[2].
• Each year about 750 new cervical cancer incidences are reported; 1,800 women need treatment and 250 women die from cervical cancer[3].
• Women aged 25-44, and over 75 years, have higher rates of diabetes than men[4].
• Women are 1.7 times more likely to have heart failure than men[5].
• More women than men are infected with Chlamydia, and in 2005, 65% of female notifications were for young women aged 16-24, compared to 43% for men the same age[6].

Some of the ways unequal gender roles between women and men impact on women’s health include:

• Women and children are more likely to live in lower socioeconomic conditions than men[7].
• Lower socio-economic conditions are linked to greater risk factors for cardiovascular disease (tobacco smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and high blood pressure)[8], prevalence of diabetes[9], and poorer compliance with Pap test screening[10].
• Greater longevity in women and lower socioeconomic status may mean that some women are unable to finance particular treatments or health resolutions[11],[12].
• Diagnoses of health conditions, such as ischaemic heart disease, are sometimes delayed or missed because of gender biases in research[13].
• Because of socio-cultural gender roles that privilege men, women’s decisions about when to have sex, and in having male partners use protection, often has limited impact. Young women are more vulnerable to unsafe or unwanted sex practices[14].

Diversity

Women with disabilities

• Almost 60% of women with disabilities report experiencing at least one stressor in the past 12 months (males: 55.5%)[15].
• Younger women with disabilities aged 18-34 years rate their health status better than do women aged over 35 years[15].
• Women with disabilities aged 65 years and over are more likely to rate their health as ‘fair/poor’ more than younger women (65%)[15].

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are four times more likely to have diabetes than non-Aboriginal women[16].
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are also 1.2 times more likely to be overweight or obese compared with non-Aboriginal adults, and this is greater for Aboriginal women than men[16].

Same-sex attracted women

• Same-sex attracted (SSA) women are less likely to have regular Pap tests than heterosexual women[17].
• SSA women also access other forms of screening less frequently, delay treatment and are less likely to have a regular general practitioner (GP)[17]. 

 

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top of pageReferences

[1]     Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) Year Book Australia 2008. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Cat. No. 1301. Viewed 15 January 2008,  http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/1301.0Main+Features12008?OpenDocument