UNIT 7 Sociological Perspectives- P3 Homework Task

Health and Illness issue- GENDER

Gender norms and values can be the resulting of illness so for example lung cancer could be one of the top
morbidity rates for men and not women because it is seen as masculine for males to smoke an attractive for
females to smoke.
Men and Women have differences in hormones/biological factors, roles and expectations in society which can affect
their ability to stay well and healthy.
Life Expectancy
79 years old for males and 82 years for females.
Morbidity Rates
Morbidity rates are lower in women than men.
Mens top causes of illnessHeart disease 37423 died-15.60%
Lung cancer 16698-7.00%
Emphysema/bronchitis 14378-6.00%
Womens top causes of illnessAlzheimers 29873-11.50%
Heart disease 26741-10.30%
Stroke 21730-8.40%

Mortality Rates

The majority of death rates were 46% for men and 63% for women within
2012.

Incidences of disease

Suicide Rates

19.0 male deaths per 100,000.

5.1 female deaths per 100,000.

In 2013.
Any other key patterns and trends
in health and illness

What difficulties are there in

measuring the health of this social
group?

Testosterone in men is seen to weaken the immune system which puts them
more at risk of becoming ill and women have more estrogen which helps
there immune system fight off diseases but this becomes different when
estrogen levels drop during the menopause. Also what is expected of each
gender can have effect on illness such as men are seen to be bold and brave
so might take risks that could put their health on the line. More men can
suffer from illnesses such as lung cancer as in some countries smoking is
seen to a masculine thing.
Different genders can contract different illnesses such as testicular cancer in
men and cervical/ovarian cancer in women so its hard to measure each
specific illness when they are subject to different ones.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2474859/Life-expectancy-gap-men-women-narrows-years.html
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/mortality-statistics--deaths-registered-in-england-and-wales--seriesdr-/2012/sty-causes-of-death.html
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/mortality-ageing/mortality-in-the-united-kingdom/1983-2013/mortality-in-the-unitedkingdom--1983-2013.html
http://www.who.int/gender/genderandhealth/en/

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health4/suicides-in-the-united-kingdom/2013-registrations/suicides-inthe-united-kingdom--2013-registrations.html
http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/why-men-get-sick-more-than-women/