Sex and Gender Differences in Health
Authors: Primavera A. Spagnolo, JoAnn E. Manson, Hadine Joffe
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2021)

LettersJanuary 2021Sex and Gender Differences in HealthPrimavera A. Spagnolo, MD, PhD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Hadine Joffe, MD, MScPrimavera A. Spagnolo, MD, PhDConnors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPHConnors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, Hadine Joffe, MD, MScConnors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MassachusettsAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L20-1374 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Drs. Muurlink and Taylor-Robinson highlight the role that cultural factors—among other gender-related factors across the world—may play in exacerbating gender differences in infectious disease risk and outcomes, including during the current COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss how gendered modesty clothing norms present in several cultures may explain sex differences in the transmission of vector-borne diseases and suggest that this could also lead to sex biases in COVID-19 transmission. Although protective clothing is an integral part of infection control and prevention and face covering has been shown to reduce droplets and aerosol transmission (1), we believe that the gendered dimension ...References1. World Health Organization. Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19: interim guidance. 6 April 2020. Accessed at https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331693 on 9 November 2020. Google Scholar2. World Health Organization. Addressing Sex and Gender in Epidemic-Prone Infectious Diseases. World Health Organization; 2007. Google Scholar3. Tadiri CP, Gisinger T, Kautzy-Willer A, et al; GOING-FWD Consortium. The influence of sex and gender domains on COVID-19 cases and mortality. CMAJ. 2020;192:E1041-5. [PMID: 32900766] doi:10.1503/cmaj.200971 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Galasso V, Pons V, Profeta P, et al. Gender differences in COVID-19 attitudes and behavior: panel evidence from eight countries. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117:27285-91. [PMID: 33060298] doi:10.1073/pnas.2012520117 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MassachusettsDisclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M20-1941. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSex and Gender Differences in Health: What the COVID-19 Pandemic Can Teach Us Primavera A. Spagnolo , JoAnn E. Manson , and Hadine Joffe Sex and Gender Differences in Health Olav T. Muurlink and Andrew W. Taylor-Robinson Metrics January 2021Volume 174, Issue 1Page: 143-144KeywordsBehaviorCOVID-19Death ratesDisclosureHealth careInfectious diseasesResearch designSexual identityVector-borne diseases ePublished: 19 January 2021 Issue Published: January 2021 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2021 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...