Week 10: Gender & Health Flashcards
(32 cards)
What are some problems that come with research on gender?
- May promote a stereotypical approach to men and women emphasising the differences between them instead of similarities
- Minimises any differences within men and within women and thus treats each gender as a simple homogenous group
- Assumes that gender is a binary construct and gender fluidity is increasingly accepted
In Australia, how many years do women live longer than men?
Likely to live 4 years longer than men
How much more likely are men to die from accidents than women?
3.5x
May be related to leisure or work activities
What are the biological components that may make up gender-based differences?
- Resistance to infections
- Sex hormones
- Onset of coronary heart disease
- Physiological response to stress
What are the behavioural components that may make up gender-based differences?
- Alcohol use
- Tobacco use
- Eating habits (veg and fruit increase)
- Exercise
- Medical help seeking
What are the economic and social components that may make up gender-based differences?
- Workforce participation
- Women are more represented in part-time jobs
- Social isolation is more frequent in women
Widowhood: majority of people in heterosexual marriages - men tend to die younger
Dissatisfaction with social network: less social support even with equal number of friends and family women tend to be less satisfied
What are the 2 common sayings about gender and health?
- Women get ill but men die younger
2. Women get depressed but men commit suicide
How much more likely are men to commit suicide?
4x
Men tend to use more fatal forms of suicide eg. Shooting
Why do ‘women get depressed’?
More women are diagnosed with depression - many men are depressed but delay seeking help
Give an example of why you shouldn’t ignore differences among groups
When looking solely at depression in men and women, it looks very different to when you consider arthritis as well as depression - they show higher levels of depressive symptoms when they also have arthritis (it is a disabling and painful illness so may affect quality of life)
How was sexual behaviour regarded BEFORE the 19th century?
A religious or spiritual concern with guidance coming from religious leaders
How was sexual behaviour regarded AFTER the 19th century?
Doctors and scientists began to study sexual behaviours and sexuality - behaviours linked to reproduction were seen as normal and masturbation and homosexuality as abnormal
What are some of the issues involved in sexual health?
Contraception use Unwanted pregnancies STD's Sexual dysfunction Sex school education Sexual health in later life
How much of US youth has access to pornography between 12-18 years?
90%
What has been associated with viewing internet porn?
Problematic sexual compulsivity (17% of those who view meet criteria)
Become more risk averse and bully, victimise or groom unsuspecting ‘friends’ on facebook
What is an example of unrealistic optimism?
The universal - ‘I didn’t think this would ever happen to me’ syndrome
Why is the prevalence of child sexual abuse difficult to estimate?
It is often unreported
Also hard to gain ethical approval to talk about or bring up these topics as they can be sensitive
How many young girls and boys are victims of child sexual abuse?
1 in 5 girls
1 in 20 boys
At what age are children most vulnerable to sexual abuse?
7 to 13 years
What is a child that is victim of prolonged sexual abuse at risk of developing?
Usually develop low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness, and an abnormal or distorted view of sex.
May become withdrawn or distrustful of adults and can become suicidal
Who are children typically sexually abused by?
3 out of 4 sexually assaulted adolescents were victimised by someone they knew well - this relates to this unrealistic optimism (be aware of everyone around you)
Which kind of home life puts children at risk of sexual abuse?
Children who do not live with both parents
Children living in homes marked by parental discord, divorce or domestic violence
What is a major concern common among LGBTIQA+ people globally?
A fear of discrimination
What are the findings relating to being labelled as gay/bisexual and steroid use among adolescent boys?
Among heterosexual boys, steroid use is higher among boys who reported being bullied and labelled as gay or bisexual
- No such relationship was observed among non-heterosexual boys
