Gender is more than just language – it saves lives. Language influences our thinking, and in medicine, it can mean the difference between life and death. Medicine is still often based on a male average patient. The problem? Women, non-binary, and trans people often have different symptoms, disease progressions, and responses to medication. If these differences are not considered, dangerous misdiagnoses and treatment errors can occur. Gender-sensitive medicine, which takes these differences into account, is not only a matter of justice – it can save lives. But what does this have to do with occupational health management (OHM)? More than you might think.
Gender & Health: Why There Can’t Be One-Size-Fits-All Medicine
The standard medical model, often based on the “male, middle-aged, 1.70 meters tall, 70 kilograms” framework, doesn’t reflect reality. Neither women, non-binary people, nor men with specific health needs fit into this mold, which can lead to misdiagnoses and incorrect treatments. Awareness of gender-specific differences in medicine is still far too low, and structural barriers are high.
Why Gender Sensitivity in medicine matters
A classic example of gender-specific differences in medicine is heart attacks: While male anatomy often shows typical symptoms like chest pain, heart attacks in female anatomy are often expressed with non-specific symptoms like back pain, abdominal pain, and cold sweats – symptoms that are frequently misdiagnosed as stress or mental health issues. But this is just one of many examples where standard medicine reaches its limits. In urinary tract diseases, people with female anatomy are at a higher risk due to their shorter urethra, which is often overlooked, leading to delayed treatment.
Another example is kidney diseases: People with female anatomy are more likely to suffer from chronic kidney disease, but they are often diagnosed later and treated less effectively than people with male anatomy, since medical standard values are often not gender-specific. Ignoring these differences can have serious consequences. The solution? Gender-sensitive medicine that takes individual factors into account – including in corporate health promotion.
Gender in Medicine: The Challenges of Gender Sensitivity
While gender-sensitive medicine is gaining importance, research is lagging behind. In Germany, only 70% of medical faculties consider gender-specific differences in diseases and therapies, and often only sporadically. Only a few universities like Hamburg, Berlin, or Ulm are leading the way, but across Germany, only a few specialized chairs for gender medicine exist.
The University of Greifswald is setting a good example. As part of an elective course in gender-specific medicine, medical students are encouraged to incorporate gender as a relevant category into their work from the beginning. This elective could be a crucial step in raising awareness about the importance of gender-sensitive medicine. The project, funded by the BMBF with €1.5 million, runs for five years and aims to establish new structures in research and education. A major focus is sensitizing medical professionals and researchers to gender-sensitive issues and enabling fairer, more individualized care.
Gender Sensitivity: The Key to Progress in Medicine and OHM
Still, many people mock the focus on gender sensitivity. The necessity of this approach in medicine hasn’t fully entered clinical practice everywhere. The topic is sometimes dismissed as unnecessary, and many feel overwhelmed by the term “gender medicine.” This is reminiscent of the resistance faced when introducing new ideas into occupational health management (OHM) – just as the importance of individualized healthcare is often not immediately recognized. But this is where the key lies: it’s about recognizing, respecting, and implementing differences in practice. In both medicine and health promotion, this means addressing individual needs – regardless of gender.
To successfully strengthen the focus on gender medicine, gaining political acceptance is crucial. Experts like Professor Sylvia Stracke und Elpiniki Katsari emphasize that political discussions at the state level and active participation in shaping political processes play a key role. When a topic gains political relevance, public acceptance also increases. This recognition at both political and societal levels is an important step in advancing gender medicine and embedding it sustainably in medical practice.
Gender Sensitivity in OHM is also crucial
The successful occupational health management (OHM) of the future must place greater emphasis on gender aspects. Companies that address the gender-specific needs of their employees can not only improve the health of their workforce but also promote equal opportunities. This includes training managers and health officers to raise awareness of differences in symptoms, diseases, and treatments. Additionally, prevention measures and health offerings should be flexible enough to cater to the individual needs of employees – regardless of gender or biological characteristics. Gender-sensitive OHM not only promotes employee well-being but also contributes to a healthier, more productive work environment, which ultimately increases long-term business success.
Gender Medicine as an Economic Advantage
Those who consider health differences not only create fairer working conditions but also gain economic advantages:
Fewer misdiagnoses = fewer sick days
Better prevention = higher productivity
Individualized health offerings = happier employees
Investing in gender-sensitive health promotion pays off in the long run – for both companies and employees. Companies that act proactively not only improve the health of their workforce but also strengthen their company culture and employee retention. Gender-inclusive language is not the only measure; health-oriented leadership is also essential.
Zusammenfassung
Gender-sensitive medicine is not a luxury but a necessity to avoid faulty diagnoses and unjust treatments. Considering gender-specific differences in symptoms, disease progressions, and treatment approaches is crucial to ensuring fair and optimal care for all patients. Such medicine saves lives – and the focus on these differences must be implemented more thoroughly in practice. Even in the field of occupational health management (OHM), it’s essential to integrate these insights in order to provide holistic, individualized health promotion that benefits all employees.
