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Review
. 2023 Jul-Aug;27(4):NP1-NP36.
doi: 10.1177/12034754231177582. Epub 2023 Jul 4.

The Role of Sex and Gender in Dermatology - From Pathogenesis to Clinical Implications

François Lagacé  1 , Kathleen D'Aguanno  2 , Connor Prosty  2 , Alexandra Laverde-Saad  1 , Leila Cattelan  1 , Lydia Ouchene  1 , Sarah Oliel  2 , Genevieve Genest  3 , Philip Doiron  4 , Vincent Richer  5 , Abdulhadi Jfri  6 , Elizabeth O'Brien  1 , Philippe Lefrançois  1 , Mathieu Powell  1 , Linda Moreau  1 , Ivan V Litvinov  1 , Anastasiya Muntyanu  1 , Elena Netchiporouk  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Sex and Gender in Dermatology - From Pathogenesis to Clinical Implications

François Lagacé et al. J Cutan Med Surg. 2023 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background: Sex and gender have increasingly been recognized as significant risk factors for many diseases, including dermatological conditions. Historically, sex and gender have often been grouped together as a single risk factor in the scientific literature. However, both may have a distinct impact on disease incidence, prevalence, clinical presentation, severity, therapeutic response, and associated psychological distress.

Objectives and project description: The mechanisms that underlie differences in skin diseases between males, females, men, and women remain largely unknown. The specific objectives of this review paper are:To highlight the biological differences between males and females (sex), as well as the sociocultural differences between men and women (gender) and how they impact the integumentary system.To perform a literature review to identify important sex- and gender-related epidemiological and clinical differences for various skin conditions belonging to a range of disease categories and to discuss possible biological and sociocultural factors that could explain the observed differences.To discuss dermatological skin conditions and gender-affirming treatments within the transgender community, a population of individuals who have a gender identity which is different than the gender identity they were assigned at birth.

Future impact: With the rising number of individuals that identify as non-binary or transgender within our increasingly diverse communities, it is imperative to recognize gender identity, gender, and sex as distinct entities. By doing so, clinicians will be able to better risk-stratify their patients and select treatments that are most aligned with their values. To our knowledge, very few studies have separated sex and gender as two distinct risk factors within the dermatology literature. Our article also has the potential to help guide future prevention strategies that are patient-tailored rather than using a universal approach.

Keywords: dermatology; gender; incidence; sex; skin condition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of biological (sex) and sociocultural (gender) factors that differ between men/males andwomen/females
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of male vs. female cases of skin conditions commonly encountered by dermatologists. Trends may differ for specific subpopulations (e.g., children, elderly). For additional details, please refer to Part 2 of the main text.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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