Gender and Health Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Gender and Health distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/gender-and-health/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Sex vs. Gender Distinction

Sex refers to biological characteristics including chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive anatomy, while gender refers to the socially constructed roles, identities, and expectations assigned to individuals. Both independently and jointly influence health outcomes.

Gender Mainstreaming in Health

A strategy for integrating gender perspectives into the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health policies and programs so that all genders benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.

Sex-Disaggregated Data

Data that is collected and analyzed separately for males, females, and where possible other gender identities, enabling researchers and policymakers to identify disparities that aggregate data would obscure.

Gender Bias in Medicine

Systematic differences in the diagnosis, treatment, or management of disease based on a patient's gender, often resulting from historical underrepresentation of women and gender minorities in clinical research.

Social Determinants of Gendered Health

The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that are shaped by gender norms and power relations, including income inequality, education access, unpaid care work, and exposure to gender-based violence.

Masculinity and Health-Seeking Behavior

The influence of traditional masculine norms such as self-reliance, stoicism, and emotional suppression on men's willingness to seek medical care, adhere to treatment, and engage in preventive health behaviors.

Gender-Affirming Healthcare

Medical interventions and supportive care that align an individual's physical characteristics or social expression with their gender identity, including hormone therapy, surgical procedures, mental health support, and social transition assistance.

Reproductive Health Equity

The principle that all individuals should have equal access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, including contraception, maternal care, fertility treatment, and safe abortion, regardless of gender identity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.

Intersectionality in Health

A framework originally developed by Kimberle Crenshaw that examines how overlapping social identities such as gender, race, class, sexuality, and disability interact to create unique experiences of privilege or oppression that affect health outcomes.

Gender-Responsive Health Systems

Health systems designed to recognize and address gender-specific needs, reduce gender-based barriers to care, and ensure equitable health outcomes through policies, training, resource allocation, and service delivery models.

Key Terms at a Glance

Sex:Biological characteristics including chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive anatomy that classify individuals as male, female, or intersex.

Gender:Socially constructed roles, behaviors, identities, and expectations associated with being male, female, nonbinary, or another gender identity.

Gender Mainstreaming:The process of integrating a gender perspective into all policies, programs, and institutional practices to promote equity.

Sex-Disaggregated Data:Statistical data that is collected and presented separately for each sex, enabling identification of gender-specific health patterns.

Gender Bias:Prejudice or differential treatment based on a person's gender, which in healthcare leads to disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and research inclusion.

Intersectionality:A framework analyzing how overlapping social identities such as gender, race, class, and sexuality create compounding experiences of discrimination or privilege.

Gender-Affirming Care:Healthcare services that support and affirm an individual's gender identity, including hormone therapy, surgical interventions, and psychosocial support.

Maternal Mortality:The death of a person during pregnancy or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy from causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy.

Gender-Based Violence:Harmful acts directed at individuals based on their gender, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and harmful traditional practices.

Gender Norms:Societal expectations about behaviors, roles, and attributes considered appropriate for men, women, and other genders in a given culture.

Social Determinants of Health:The economic and social conditions in which people live that influence their health status, many of which are shaped by gender relations.

Reproductive Health:A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system and its functions.

Gender Dysphoria:The psychological distress that may result from an incongruence between one's experienced gender identity and one's assigned sex at birth.

Yentl Syndrome:The phenomenon where women are misdiagnosed or undertreated because they do not present with the 'typical' (male-pattern) symptoms of a disease.

Gender Data Gap:The systematic lack of data collected and analyzed by sex and gender, resulting in knowledge gaps about women's and gender minorities' health needs.

Get study tips in your inbox

We'll send you evidence-based study strategies and new cheat sheets as they're published.

We'll notify you about updates. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.