Custom essays on Identify the role of gender in health and describe its relevance to the inequalities debate

Social strategy, directed at creation of normal condition for development of our country on the basis of the use and perfection of human potential, supposes inclusion of gender component in all spheres of public life: in a policy, economy, culture and health area. It is determined by constitutional principle that man and woman have equal rights and freedoms, and the also have equal possibilities for their realization. As is generally known, on determination of UNO, exactly gender relations (social relations between sexes) now come forward as one of main problem paradigms of the XXI century. Thus, the main aim of this paper is to identify the role of gender in health and describe its relevance to the inequalities debate.
According to WHO Gender Policy we see that “gender based differences in access to or control over resources, in power or decision making, and in roles and responsibilities, have implications for women’s and men’s health status.” (WHO Gender Policy 2002) Bendelow and Carpenter (2002) argued that the role of gender in health provokes people to discuss women’s and men’s health from the position of inequality. Men’s health is important in the same degree as women’s or children’s health that is why we think about gender aspect of this question. All people have different health needs, because they affected by different illnesses and in many cases their diseases are determinate by their sex. I think that it is important not to compare women’s or men’s health problems, but prove that all of them are part of our reality and it is necessary to help people in spite their sex, religion or other characteristics.
I believe that gender differences in access to the resources and control above them, power and making decision, and also in roles and duties have affecting the level of health of men and women. The results of these distinctions are:
 difference in risk and vulnerability to the certain infections and diseases;
 there is different perception of requirements in health area and suitable types of treatment;
 difference in access to medical service;
 different consequences or end of illness;
 and differentiating social consequences as a result of poor health.
Gender can influence on health status in the next way:
 it is a risk or vulnerability;
 it is a character, seriousness and frequency of health problems;
 methods which are perceive as the symptoms of illness;
 it is an access to medical service;
 it is ability to follow the recommended treatment;
 long-term social consequences and consequences for health. (Prus & Gee 2003)
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned information it is possible to come to the conclusion that gender factors co-operate with biological differences between women and men and in this manner affect their level of health. Women and men can be subject to the different risks of diseases from the gender division of labor or from gender roles and norms. Wade proved women and men can also have different perception about the bad level of health and what actions must be undertaken in this connection. (Wade 2005) In my opinion we should urgently react to health problems connected with gender aspect, because health sector is one of the most influential sectors in our life. It is necessary to act and change situation in health sector, because only in such way it is possible to protect people from health problems and take care of their normal life.

 
References
Annandale, E & Hunt, A 2000, Gender Inequalities in Health. Open University Press.
Bendelow, G & Carpenter, M 2002, Gender, Health, and Healing: The Public / Private Divide. Routledge.
Hammermeister, J & others 2005, “Gender Differences in Spiritual Well-being: Are Females More Spiritually-well Than Males?” American Journal of Health Studies, Vol. 20.
Integrating Gender Perspectives in the work of WHO, WHO Gender Policy, 2002.
Plummer, D & McCann, P 2007, “Girls’ Germs: Sexuality, Gender, Health and Metaphors of Contagion.” Health Sociology Review, Vol. 16.
Prus, S & Gee, E 2003, “Gender Differences in the Influence of Economic, Lifestyle, and Psychosocial Factors on Later-life Health.” Canadian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 94.
Schofield, T 2008, “Gender and Health Inequalities: What Are They and What Can We Do about Them?” Australian Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 43.
Wade, G 2005, “The Impact of Gender Role Conflict on Multidimensional Social Support in Older Men.” International Journal of Men’s Health, Vol. 4.