Gender Medicine

Gender medicine is an important new field in health and disease. It is derived from top-quality research and encompasses the biological and social determinants that underlie the susceptibility to disease and its consequences. In the future, consideration of the role of gender will undoubtedly become an integral feature of all research and clinical care. Defining the role of gender in medicine requires a broad perspective on biology and diverse skills in biomedical and social sciences. When these scientific disciplines come together, a revolution in medical care is in the making. Covering twelve different areas of medicine, the practical and useful Handbook of Clinical Gender Medicine provides up-to-date information on the role of gender in the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of a wide range of common diseases.

**Finalist, PROSE Award in Clinical Medicine** A rich examination of the history of trans medicine and current day practice Surfacing in the mid-twentieth century, yet shrouded in social stigma, transgender medicine is now a rapidly growing medical field. In Trans Medicine, stef shuster makes an important intervention in how we understand the development of this field and how it is being used to “treat” gender identity today. Drawing on interviews with medical providers as well as ethnographic and archival research, shuster examines how health professionals approach patients who seek gender-affirming care. From genital reconstructions to hormone injections, the practice of trans medicine charts new medical ground, compelling medical professionals to plan treatments without widescale clinical trials to back them up. Relying on cultural norms and gut instincts to inform their treatment plans, shuster shows how medical providers’ lack of clinical experience and scientific research undermines their ability to interact with patients, craft treatment plans, and make medical decisions. This situation defies how providers are trained to work with patients and creates uncertainty. As providers navigate the developing knowledge surrounding the medical care of trans folk, Trans Medicine offers a rare opportunity to understand how providers make decisions while facing challenges to their expertise and, in the process, have acquired authority not only over clinical outcomes, but over gender itself.

The announcement that we had decoded the human genome in 2000 ushered in a new and unique era in biomedical research and clinical medicine. This Third Edition of Principles of Gender-Specific Medicine focuses, as in the past two editions, on the essentials of sexual dimorphism in human physiology and pathophysiology, but emphasizes the latest information about molecular biology and genomic science in a variety of disciplines. Thus, this edition is a departure from the previous two; the editor solicited individual manuscripts from innovative scientists in a variety of fields rather than the traditional arrangement of sections devoted to the various subspecialties of medicine edited by section chiefs. Wherever it was available, these authors incorporated the latest information about the impact of the genome and the elements that modify its expression on human physiology and illness. All chapters progress translationally from basic science to the clinical applications of gender-specific therapy and suggest the most important topics for future investigation. This book is essential reading for all biomedical investigators and medical educators involved in gender-specific medicine. It will also be useful for primary care practitioners who need information about the importance of sex and gender in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness. Outlines sex-specific differences in normal human function and explains the impact of age, hormones, and environment on the incidence and outcome of illness Reflects the latest information about the molecular basis of the sexual dimorphism in human physiology and the experience of disease Reviews the implications of our ever-improving ability to describe the genetic basis of vulnerability to disease and our capacity to alter the genome itself Illustrates the importance of new NIH guidelines that urge the inclusion of sex as a variable in research protocols

An exploration of how to bring medicine into the twenty-first century with our understanding of gender and sex differences. Over millions of years, male and female bodies developed crucial physiological differences to improve the chances for human survival. These differences have become culturally obsolete with the overturning of traditional gender roles. But they are nevertheless very real, and they go well beyond the obvious sexual and reproductive variances: men and women differ in terms of digestion, which affects the way medications are absorbed. Sensitivity to pain is dependent on gender. Even the symptoms of a heart attack manifest differently in a man than in a woman. And yet the medical establishment largely treats male and female patients as though their needs are identical. In fact, medical research is still done predominately on men, and the results are then applied to the treatment of women. This is clearly problematic and calls for a paradigm change—such a paradigm change is the purpose of Gender Medicine. Praise for Gender Medicine “Gender Medicine is cutting edge in that the author challenges the historical and antiquated paradigms that women and men are interchangeable with respect to their physiology, pharmacology and pathophysiology excluding their reproductive organs. There is a shocking paucity of resource material showcasing the most current and complete evidence on sex and gender-based medicine. Marek Glezerman’s book is a comprehensive and pleasurable read; it will enlighten both medical and nonmedical audiences and is highly applicable to the effective clinical practice of medicine in the twenty-first century.” —Alyson J. McGregor M.D., MA, FACEP, Director, Division of Sex and Gender in Emergency Medicine (SGEM), Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown Universit “This fascinating work will teach readers a great deal about sex, gender, and the human body. A must-read for health-care practitioners and anyone interested in medicine.” —Library Journal, starred review

Although transgender persons have been present in various societies throughout human history, it is only during the last several years that they have become widely acknowledged in our society and their right to quality medical care has been established. In the United States, endocrinologists have been providing hormonal therapy for transgender individuals for decades; however, until recently, there has been only limited literature on this subject, and non-endocrine aspects of medical care for transgender individual have not been well addressed in the endocrine literature. The goal of this volume is not only to address the latest in hormonal therapy for transgender individuals (including pediatric and geriatric age groups), but also to familiarize the reader with other aspects of transgender care, including primary and surgical care, fertility preservation, and the management of HIV infection. In addition to medical issues, psychological, social, ethical and legal issues pertinent to transgender individuals add to the complexities of successful treatment of these patients. A final chapter includes extensive additional resources for both transgender patients and providers. Thus, an endocrinologist providing care to a transgender person will be able to use this single resource to address most of the patient’s needs. While Transgender Medicine is intended primarily for endocrinologists, this book will be also useful to primary care physicians, surgeons providing gender-confirming procedures, mental health professionals participating in the care of transgender persons, and medical residents and students.

It's obvious why only men develop prostate cancer and why only women get ovarian cancer. But it is not obvious why women are more likely to recover language ability after a stroke than men or why women are more apt to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Sex differences in health throughout the lifespan have been documented. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health begins to snap the pieces of the puzzle into place so that this knowledge can be used to improve health for both sexes. From behavior and cognition to metabolism and response to chemicals and infectious organisms, this book explores the health impact of sex (being male or female, according to reproductive organs and chromosomes) and gender (one's sense of self as male or female in society). Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health discusses basic biochemical differences in the cells of males and females and health variability between the sexes from conception throughout life. The book identifies key research needs and opportunities and addresses barriers to research. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health will be important to health policy makers, basic, applied, and clinical researchers, educators, providers, and journalists-while being very accessible to interested lay readers.

The International Society for Gender Medicine: History and Highlights is about a major step in the improvement of quality in medicine, namely the long overdue understanding that women are different from men in every system of the body and may require different approaches in diagnosis and treatment. This is not a textbook, nor is it a scientific publication. It is the story of the International Society for Gender Medicine (IGM) as soon through the eyes of 12 pioneers of Gender and Sex Specific Medicine (GSSM) from seven countries, five of whom were the founds of IGM in 2006. It describes the development of this new science in the respective countries and academic environments of the authors, their very personal experience while promoting, and implementing their vision of GSSM, their frustrations, successes, and achievements. The field of gender-specific medicine examines how normal human biology and physiology differ between men and women and how the diagnosis and treatment of disease differs as a function of gender and sex. Among the areas of greatest difference are cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, the immune system, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and infectious diseases. This book is essential reading for all researchers, graduate students, practitioners, and anyone interested in this diverse and thriving field. From the early beginning, to the recent NIH mandate that females be included in pre-clinical as well as clinical research and that research results be reported by sex, the quick read will broaden your understanding of the history of the field and highlight where the future is headed. Illustrates how major universities and organizations around the world concentrated first on the unexplored world of women's biology and then progressively adopted the larger view of the importance of investigating and comparing both sexes through all levels of biomedical research Notes the recent NIH statement that funding would depend on inclusion of two sexes in scientific protocols wherever possible as an important affirmation of the legitimacy of gender specific science Addresses challenges for the future: how to incorporate both sexes in investigative protocols in a scientifically valid way, and whether or not the cost of including two sexes in protocols will be prohibitively expensive Dispels the idea that gender-specific medicine is women's medicine and how changing the name of most of the organizations currently advocating and developing gender specific medicine to include men and women (rather than just women) in their group name would help dispel this notion

The field of gender-specific medicine examines how normal human biology and physiology differ between men and women and how the diagnosis and treatment of disease differs as a function of gender. This revealing research covers various conditions that predominantly occur in men as well conditions that predominantly occur in women. Among the areas of greatest difference are cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, the immune system, lung cancer as a consequence of smoking, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and infectious diseases. The Second Edition of Principles of Gender-Specific Medicine focuses on the essentials of gender-specific medicine and the current study of sex and gender differences in human physiology and pathophysiology. New section editors, new chapter authors, and new chapters have been added to reflect the most up-to-date clinical research and practice. Offers insight into how the gender-specific risks of one organ system’s disease affects the health of other organ systems Outlines the sex-specific differences of normal anatomy and physiology Illustrates the gender-specific features and quantifies "gender" and "sex" as risk factors across all major diseases Qualifies and analyzes the results of new drug therapies designed with gender-specific differences in mind: ex, hormone therapy in men and women for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease All chapters progress translationally from the basic science to the clinical applications of gender-specific therapies, drugs, or treatments Sections on drug metabolism, aging, and meta-analysis of data incorporated into all disease-specific chapters