A global analysis reveals that there are sex-based health disparities in the prevalence and outcomes of hypertension, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.
In a groundbreaking global study, researchers have uncovered a troubling trend: men are more likely than women to suffer from, and die due to, three major health conditions, yet they’re also less likely to seek medical care.
Published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine, the study was led by Angela Chang from the University of Southern Denmark. The research focused on hypertension, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS, using global data to track how these diseases affect people differently based on sex and age.
The researchers found that while many health policies treat men and women the same, the risks and outcomes often aren’t. By comparing disease rates and differences in diagnosis and treatment between males and females, the researchers aim to spotlight these hidden health gaps and help close them.
Disparities Across the Health Pathway
The analysis identified significant differences between the sexes at each step in the “health pathway,” which includes exposure to a risk factor, development of the condition, diagnosis, treatment, and death. Males and females received different care for hypertension, diabetes, and HIV and AIDS in 200, 39, and 76 countries, respectively.
Males had higher rates of disease and higher rates of death compared to females, and in some countries, were less likely to seek out health care and adhere to treatment. In most countries, males were also more likely to smoke, while females were more like to be obese and engage in unsafe sex.
Overall, the study suggests that public health professionals need to develop strategies to encourage males to participate in preventive and health care services. The researchers also highlight the importance of examining health data by sex to understand health inequities and guide appropriate interventions at multiple points along the health pathway. They conclude that we need more comprehensive datasets for these and other conditions so that we can monitor for sex differences and implement equitable health care policies.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Factors
Professors Kent Buse and Sarah Hawkes, co-founders and co-CEOs of Global 50/50, say, “We have long advocated the benefits of publishing sex disaggregated data. As our Gendered Health Pathways demonstrates, such data can reveal where the health journeys of men and women diverge be it in relation to the risk factors they are exposed to, their health care seeking behaviors, or their experiences in health care systems. That is an important first step towards health equity. Most of these differences are not explained by sex (biology) alone, but by socially-constructed gender – highlighting the importance of taking a gender justice approach to reducing health inequities. A gender analysis can help to shape systems of health for all.”
Angela Chang, senior author, adds, “The evidence is clear: sex differences persist at nearly every point along the health pathway, from higher smoking rates in men to higher obesity prevalence in women, yet interventions rarely reflect this. Without sex-disaggregated cascade data, we’re flying blind—unable to detect who is falling through the cracks in prevention, diagnosis, and care.”
Reference: “Sex-disaggregated data along the gendered health pathways: A review and analysis of global data on hypertension, diabetes, HIV, and AIDS” by Alessandro Feraldi, Virginia Zarulli, Kent Buse, Sarah Hawkes and Angela Y. Chang, 1 May 2025, PLOS Medicine.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004592
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