Reflective Tag This segment of lessons really filled my own prejudices against the medical system. My mother is a radiation oncologist, and often tells me about men who absolutely refuse to get lifesaving care because it would be debilitating, preventing them from doing every day tasks.
Biology is full of huge outer and inner nuances from species to species. However, within each species, these differences are much more subtle, so subtle that only the keenest medical observation can identify them. In mammals, these boundaries are most usually separated along the different sexes. This occurs in humans as well. Unlike the majority of humanity believes, the differences medically are very different in men and women, even though this fact has only come to the light in the last century.
Men and women have subtle but significant physiological and psychological differences. The way medication is processed, the effects it has, and potential complications can affect the sexes differently. The most recent development in this was with the discovery that women process the sleep aid Ambien differently, with women processing the drug slower, with some cases of over 45% of the medication remaining in their system. This could affect driving, motor skills, and the judgement of the individual, with potentially devastating consequences. There are some medial practices where this has been known for years, but never applied to other fields, such as the application of painkillers such as morphine or hydrocodieine.
The gender norms of individuals can greatly affect their attitude towards healthcare. Men have penchant for avoiding medical care, even in the form of routine checkups. While some of this could apply to standard fear of the doctor, much of it applies. However, many men avoid healthcare because they want to appear strong, and not risk potentially humiliating, “weakening” treatments that would show failure to live up to standards. The Marlboro Man never goes to the doctor, so why should I? The need to feel like a manly man leads many to ridicule, fear, and avoid potentially lifesaving procedures such as prostate exams and colonoscopies.