How can differences in immune response between men and women be explained? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:05 — 1.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Big differences in immune response exist between males and females, decades of research show, with Covid-19 responses providing the latest examples. Sabra Klein, an expert in sex differences in immunity at Johns Hopkins, says it’s not all a matter of genes.

Klein: For any of this biology these are referred to as sex differences but this is only half of what can cause differences between men and women. The other half are these socially constructed roles that may cause us to engage in different behaviors, be different in how we utilize healthcare, maybe even the timing at which we utilized health care. This can include our gender identities but it can also just include those norms that define us as men and women in our society.  :33

Klein says holistic awareness of all of these factors is needed by both individuals and the healthcare system in order to help people make good choices for healthier lives. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.