14 DAY TRIAL // One of the reasons why adult women suffer from higher rates of certain diseases than men is the fact that society has certain expectations of them, says a philosopher in the United States. He proposes that Western-style societies may be planting the seeds for these diseases ever since the girls are very young.
It is during childhood that little girls are introduced to the things that will be demanded of them throughout their lives, says a philosophy expert at the Oregon State University (Oregon State).
Neatness and cleanliness are two of the most prized virtues for Western girls. They are expected to never be dirty or smell bad, and this may contribute to gender imbalances within the heavily-debated “hygiene hypothesis.”
This term is used to refer to the idea that one of the reasons why so many cases of allergies, parasite and symbiotic microorganism infections, and susceptibilities to a variety of infections agents exist today is because children are too pampered.
Parents use the most effective disinfectants every time their kids get a scratch on their bodies, and seldom let the kids go out on play on their own. This makes the young ones' immune system weak.
While experts are still debating whether this is actually the case or not, Oregon States experts are the first to look at how gender might influence health outcomes under the hygiene hypothesis.
According to a paper researcher Sharyn Clough published in the latest issue of the esteemed scientific journal Social Science & Medicine, adult women have higher incidences of asthma, allergies and autoimmune diseases than adult men.
But there are currently no plausible explanations for why these differences occur, the philosopher add. The most relevant differences between boys' and girls' upbringings is that society generally keeps girls from getting dirty at all costs.
“Girls tend to be dressed more in clothing that is not supposed to get dirty, girls tend to play indoors more than boys, and girls’ playtime is more often supervised by parents,” Clough explains. As a result, girls remain cleaner than boys overall.
“There is a significant difference in the types and amounts of germs that girls and boys are exposed to, and this might explain some of the health differences we find between women and men,” she adds.
“What I am proposing is new ways of looking at old studies. The hygiene hypothesis is well-supported, but what I am hoping is that the epidemiologists and clinicians go back and examine their data through the lens of gender,” Clough says.
According to official statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 8.9 percent of women suffer from asthma, whereas only 6.5 percent of male have the disease, PsychCentral reports.
“We are just now beginning to learn about the complex relationship between bacteria and health. More than 90 percent of the cells in our body are microbial rather than human,” the expert says.
“t would seem that we have co-evolved with bacteria. We need to explore this relationship more, and not just in terms of eating ‘pro-biotic’ yogurt,” Clough concludes.