Final answer:
Health disparities between males and females can be attributed to both biological differences and socioeconomic factors. Socioeconomic status, gender bias in health perception, and institutional sexism in healthcare particularly affect women's health access and quality. Education plays a crucial role in health outcomes across different socioeconomic groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
Variations in Health Status: Males vs. Females
The health disparities between males and females are influenced by biological differences and socioeconomic status (SES). Research has indicated that while some diseases such as malaria may affect pregnant women more than males, comprehensive analysis is needed to understand the sex differentials in adult mortality rates. In the United States, health care access and quality can be compromised by race and gender disparities, with African American women experiencing high rates of unmet health care needs. Additionally, the LGBT community often faces poor quality of care due to stigma and lack of understanding from health professionals.
Historical perspectives have often equated the female gender with being unhealthy or not of sound mind, a view that can influence gender disparities in illnesses, including the higher rate of clinical depression among women. In terms of being male or female and being healthy, there has been an association with being male and having traits seen as conducive to good health, such as being logical and active, while female traits have sometimes been seen as the opposite. This gender bias in health perception could influence healthcare outcomes and disease prevalence.
SES, including educational factors, greatly influences health disparities, where higher SES groups usually have better health outcomes following educational initiatives about diseases. Women in specific have faced unequal access to healthcare and institutionalized sexism, which is evident in the decline of women's ability to see needed specialists and their higher rates of postponed healthcare due to costs compared to men.