Sex differentials in health and mortality

Abstract

It is common knowledge that females tend to live longer than males. In the United States and most other countries, female death rates are lower than male rates for all age groups and most important causes of death. But while they are alive, females' health seems to be worse than males'. Health surveys repeatedly show that females have higher rates of illness, disability days, and health services use. In this article, sex differentials in mortality are presented first, followed by sex differentials in health. Possible explanations for these sex differentials are discussed, and the apparent contradiction--why there is excess female morbidity but excess male mortality--is considered.