Women Face Unique HealthChallenges During The Pandemic

COVID-19 is continuing to cause serious issues, and one that has gotten a lot of attention is the substantially higher fatality rate in men.[1]

This is a very serious issue, and may be influenced by a wide variety of factors. For example, men are more likely to have chronic diseases that worsen outcomes (such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and liver disease), and have a variety of differences in immune response compared to women.[2][3][4][5]

Part of what we strive to do at Examine.com is shine a light on health issues that don’t get as much coverage, using peer-reviewed evidence. And over the past month, we haven’t seen much on certain health challenges that disproportionately impact women, and are exacerbated by the pandemic.

Of course, not all these issues are exclusive to women. Rather, women tend to face a higher stress and health burden from them, and rarely are they collectively discussed. Here are a few examples:

1. Invisible illnesses are especially difficult now

An invisible illness is simply a medical condition that isn't easily seen by others. Hence, it’s rare for anyone in your daily life to truly know what you’re going through.

The term usually refers to conditions that significantly impact daily life, and are complex and difficult to treat. Examples include fibromy