If there is one thing this pandemic has reminded us it is that there can be no equity between men and women if we continue to ignore their differences. This is the unanimous message launched today on the occasion of the presentation of the Special Commission of the W20 “Equity in Health“, which will have the task of discussing, in the world, the impact of “gender in medicine” taking into account not only biological but also environmental, cultural and socio-economic, with the aim of understanding the mechanisms through which gender-related differences affect the state of health and the development of pathologies.
Covid 19. The highest price is paid by women
by Sabina Pignataro
The Commission, coordinated by Flavia Franconi, recently appointed component for the Observatory dedicated to gender medicine at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Iss), is made up of world-renowned experts who will discuss the importance of health issues for global growth and well-being and the prosperity of the entire international community and in consideration of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
Medicine tailored to women’s needs
Why do we talk about gender medicine? “Because it is essential to guarantee women the same opportunities – he says Linda Laura Sabbadini, member of the G20 Women – men and women are different on a biological level, this diversity can have an impact on the diagnosis and treatment of a disease, but also on the course “
“Gender medicine studies the impact of the difference between men and women – he explains Sandra Zampa, former undersecretary of the Ministry of Health who signed the decree for the establishment of the observatory for gender medicine at the ISS – not only at the reproductive and social level, but also at the immunological and genetic level. Understanding how gender differences can impact different areas of reality is fundamental. Overcoming the gender gap in all fields of health care will also help us in the first place to deal with the consequences of the lockdown ”.
“So I will bring gender equality to the university”
by Fiammetta Cupellaro
We think of the role of caregiver that is almost exclusive to women and which can induce severe psychological distress up to post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, as well as increasing the risk of cardiovascular and oncological diseases. And again: the role of caregiver alters the pharmacological response, inducing, for example, a reduced antibody production following the administration of vaccines, probably including anti-Covid ones. “We are not the same – confirms Alberto Mantovani, immunologist at the Humanitas University of Milan – we know perfectly well that there are differences between a series of male and female organ systems. Looking at the present and Sars-Cov-2 we realize that the course of the Covid-19 disease depends on a number of factors, including gender, which can influence the way in which the patient reacts not only to the infection, but also to the treatment. . The data indicate, for example, that mortality among men is higher ”.
March 8: because females are stronger than males
by Elisa Manacorda
He adds Alexandra Kautzky-Willer of the International Society of Gender Medicine: “Women show a series of stronger immunological responses, they are more exposed to the cases of Long Covid, even if it is a topic still little explored. Gender medicine can also help us understand a series of aspects related to social behaviors that can influence the course and the probability of contagion “.
Diversity can also be reflected in vaccination, our way out of the Covid-19 emergency. “Women are often not considered like men in vaccine trials – says Kautzky-Willer – and for drugs in general. There are studies in progress, but it will be essential to deepen gender medicine to know how to behave also in relation to vaccination “. It increases The Tannenbaum Way from the Canadian Institute of Gender and Health: “Women are not miniature men and in many cases commercially available drugs lead to a stronger reaction among women. So I wonder why the possibility of administering different doses of vaccines between men and women has not been considered? Why are there no different posologies based on gender, and above all because these notions are not in the public domain? I don’t think public opinion is sufficiently sensitized to the gravity of these effects ”. According to the scientist, there are hundreds of examples where a wrong dosage of active ingredients has led to death or serious complications in the female population for the simple fact that the tests have not explored the effects of the drug on the female body. “Regulatory agencies – reiterates Tannenbaum – should consider gender differences. The guides and leaflets should indicate the recommended doses for men and women. It is an achievable reality that we must set ourselves as a goal ”.
The pandemic has finally revealed how big the gender difference is on the mental health front. “The pandemic has affected the work of women because they are more precarious and because they work in the sectors most affected by the lockdown, in this situation mental health worsens, so the disease does not derive only from the body – to cure them we need to adopt policies that support women and not just treat them with drugs. So, in my opinion, gender medicine is truly personalized and holistic medicine ”, he concludes.
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