Women’s diseases not only include those related to gender such as menstrual cramps, endometriosis or vaginal fungus. There are other conditions and disorders, among which we find migraine, osteoporosis and fibromyalgia that especially affect women. In 2001, the World Health Organization coined the term gender medicine (or gender medicine ), a branch that seeks to understand from different points of view (biological, social and cultural), why certain diseases have a much higher incidence. higher in women than in men.

Below we address the most frequent diseases in women, we try to explain the differences with respect to men and tips for their prevention.

WHAT DISEASES AFFECT WOMEN THE MOST?

On the one hand, we obviously find those diseases that are exclusive to the gender and linked to the female organs and, on the other hand, those that have a greater incidence in women, whether due to biological, social and/or cultural causes.

With regard to health problems and gender-exclusive diseases, we can classify them into different groups:

• Gynecological disorders , among which we find: menstruation and menstrual irregularities, menopause, premature ovarian failure (POF), endometriosis, ovarian cysts (polycystic ovary), uterine fibroids, vaginitis, vulvodynia.
• Topics related to pregnancy , mainly: high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, pregnancy loss (miscarriage and stillbirth), breastfeeding, postpartum depression.
• Cancer : ovarian and cervical.

Among the common diseases with a higher incidence in women than in men, the following stand out: urinary tract health (urinary incontinence, cystitis/urinary infections), pelvic floor disorders, breast cancer, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, depression, migraine, autoimmune diseases.

Below we will briefly discuss some of these main disorders:

Migraine

It is a disease that is characterized by stabbing and intense pain in the head and more than 60% of the people affected are women. Although the cause of the disorder and the different incidence between genders is not clear, it is believed that hormonal factors (oscillations in estrogen levels) could play a very important role.

Cystitis

Also known as “urine infection” this urological disease affects women much more, due to the anatomy of their genitourinary system. By having a shorter urethra, pathogens can more easily reach the bladder and cause infection. Men have a longer duct and pathogens cannot colonize the bladder as easily.

Osteoporosis

It is the gradual loss of bone mass because it does not regenerate quickly enough. Because of this, the bones become porous and brittle and are more likely to break, even with small bumps.

It affects women to a greater extent, the possible cause being lower bone density and musculature. In addition, it presents a higher incidence after menopause, a fact that would be associated with the decrease in estrogen levels.

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endometriosis

It is an exclusive disease of women and occurs when the endometrium (tissue that lines the uterus) grows in other parts of the body , mainly in the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue that lines the pelvis. This tissue behaves just like it did in its place of origin: it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. The difference is that it cannot leave the body