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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be interested in why women generally live longer than men?

183 replies

JFDIYOLO · 04/10/2025 15:38

Quite a few articles doing the rounds this week.

The XX chromosome combo seems more robust - if there's something wrong with one X, a woman's other X will compensate (eg I probably carry my father's colour blindness but my mother's healthy X patched that). But male embryos/men, with only the one X, may be more vulnerable.

Female embryos are more engaged with building the immune system very early on than male.

Men are more likely to do risky behaviour like motorbikes, driving dangerous, drinking, fighting - testosterone is a dangerous drug?

Men are more likely to be doing dangerous professions - building sites, deep sea diving, the military etc, and to die at work.

Men are more likely to murder and be murdered.

Men are less likely to consult a doctor for health issues - I once came home to find my partner googling 'What should I do about this pain in my chest' (yes, heart attack) whereas I'm on the phone if it doesn't look right, feel right, act right and to take every routine test on offer - because I've been socialised to know my entire female anatomy is trying to kill me.

Men are less likely to talk about and ask for help with mental and emotional issues which can descend into depression, and higher male suicides.

Even though women still die in childbirth, suffer PND, are way more likely to be murdered by their intimate partners and are prescribed drugs that were habitually not developed using female test cohorts.

www.sciencenewstoday.org/why-do-women-live-longer-than-men-scientists-say-the-answer-lies-in-evolution

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 04/10/2025 15:39

Women are useful in old age, evolutionarily. Men aren’t. Everything else comes from that.

DoYouReally · 04/10/2025 15:48

No idea of the scientifics of it but

  1. We tend to be less risk adverse so less likely to take stupid chances or do stupid things.
  2. Also, we are far better at managing our mental health - we tend to discuss our emotions, talk to friends, family or professionals rather than bottling things up
  3. We also look after our health better. We will go to the doctor if we are sick whereas men will only go if they think they are seriously injured or dying

Sweeping generalisations but just my experience.

Thedevilhasfinallycaughtupwithhim · 04/10/2025 15:49

Women need more sleep.
I’ve always wondered if the two are connected.

NoMoreHotHols · 04/10/2025 15:52

I think the gap is closing now. Don’t know the reasons.

RedRedCapris · 04/10/2025 15:58

Men do more manual, dirty jobs with risk of disease from dust or injury from machinery.
Or highr risk locations where there are rats or drug paraphernalia.

Asbestos clearance
Coal miner
Farmer
Construction
Industry worker
Factory worker
Firefighter
Warehouse worker
Field Engineers
Space Engineers
Fishermen

Those that do more office based jobs have high risk hobbies

I agree less visits to doctors for health MOTs & poor communication

Poverty & unemployment in some areas

Loss of community, family & social networks

dudsville · 04/10/2025 16:02

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/10/2025 15:39

Women are useful in old age, evolutionarily. Men aren’t. Everything else comes from that.

Neil DeGrasse says this is the reason, he's a scientist, and fab, but tis isn't his specialism so it may not be accurate.

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 04/10/2025 16:09

Why wouldn’t men be more useful in old age though? It’s not as if women can breastfeed in old age. We aren’t physically useful, so why can’t men make themselves useful too?

LoftyRobin · 04/10/2025 16:11

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 04/10/2025 16:09

Why wouldn’t men be more useful in old age though? It’s not as if women can breastfeed in old age. We aren’t physically useful, so why can’t men make themselves useful too?

Because it will be another mouth to feed.

Suednymph · 04/10/2025 16:12

Hearing the things I hear out of some mens mouths I am more curious as to why more are not murdered by us thus proving why they do not outlive us but as manflu seems to be a thing I guess they do have things harder so maybe thats why. They are the weaker sex after all ;)

unsync · 04/10/2025 16:15

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/10/2025 15:39

Women are useful in old age, evolutionarily. Men aren’t. Everything else comes from that.

Yes, I've read this too. Once childbearing years are over, we become repositories of wisdom apparently and our function is to pass that on to the following generations.

It made me think of elephant herds that are led by the matriarch. They keep the knowledge of where the food and water is and can lead the herd through arid lands to sustenance thus ensuring survival.

Nowadays, it seems that childminding is a major function for older women. I'm not sure that will help women live longer. All my friends that do this just seem shattered all the time.

usedtobeaylis · 04/10/2025 16:18

Violence - whether that's in the things you listed like professions and suicide. Women attempt suicide at higher rates than men but men are more 'successful' due to the more violent methods they use.

I always think about my granny and grandpa in this situation - he's been gone about 10 years and my granny still soldiers on. He worked in heavy manual labour all his life, and drank a lot all his life. She birthed four live children, lost many more, and also worked in manual labour all her life. I always wonder what the protective factors are for her that she has outlived him for so long.

beckaellen · 04/10/2025 16:22

I remember hearing that height and body size is correlated with longevity, i.e that smaller is better, might be something to do with how many cells a body has and so greater potential for mutations and cancer.

timesublimelysilencesthewhys · 04/10/2025 16:25

The healthy life expectancy for men and women is about the same - both early 60s and about 6 months difference. Regional and wealth is more marked than sex.

Maybe women can live longer in ill health? Turns out man flu is serious afterall.

Buxusmortus · 04/10/2025 16:27

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/10/2025 15:39

Women are useful in old age, evolutionarily. Men aren’t. Everything else comes from that.

Yes. And I heard an interesting programme to say why female humans go through menopause and continue to live afterwards, whereas other mammals continue to be able to reproduce their whole lives.

It's because older women have practical uses in helping their children( primarily daughters) bring up the next generations without themselves still having to continue to breed, so that their daughters can continue to breed. All based on evolution and the continuation of the species.

Crushed23 · 04/10/2025 16:28

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/10/2025 15:39

Women are useful in old age, evolutionarily. Men aren’t. Everything else comes from that.

This is the sensible explanation, but I look around me and think women are just less fucking stupid. 😂 The men in my social group are 20-30% bigger than the women by mass but easily drink twice as much. Young men drive like lunatics (which is why their insurance is significantly higher than young women’s). All high-risk activities are dominated by men - the gender split of the people who perished trying to climb Mount Everest speaks for itself.

And so on and so on.

beckaellen · 04/10/2025 16:28

beckaellen · 04/10/2025 16:22

I remember hearing that height and body size is correlated with longevity, i.e that smaller is better, might be something to do with how many cells a body has and so greater potential for mutations and cancer.

Google says "Men have a higher overall cancer incidence rate and are more susceptible to most cancers than women."

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 04/10/2025 16:29

unsync · 04/10/2025 16:15

Yes, I've read this too. Once childbearing years are over, we become repositories of wisdom apparently and our function is to pass that on to the following generations.

It made me think of elephant herds that are led by the matriarch. They keep the knowledge of where the food and water is and can lead the herd through arid lands to sustenance thus ensuring survival.

Nowadays, it seems that childminding is a major function for older women. I'm not sure that will help women live longer. All my friends that do this just seem shattered all the time.

But why not men in this role? Why women?

I think it must have something to do with community. Women being generally more able to live in bigger groups without everyone vying to be in charge.

Male animals seem to need to be the only bloke on the block- so are useless to a wider group.

CeeJay81 · 04/10/2025 16:30

Men carry weight around their middle. Women often carry it around their hips(unless your an apple shape). Which is healthier than on your belly

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 04/10/2025 16:31

Suicide statistics- don’t women make more attempts, but being less violent they are less often successful?

Ablushingcrow · 04/10/2025 16:31

dudsville · 04/10/2025 16:02

Neil DeGrasse says this is the reason, he's a scientist, and fab, but tis isn't his specialism so it may not be accurate.

Loved listening to him, but was disappointed to hear him trot out the twaw bullshit.

ElizaMulvil · 04/10/2025 16:32

XX instead of X and a much depleted Y so almost no fall back if there's a problrm on one X. Women are smaller. I believe in many animals e.g. smaller breeds dogs live longer than bigger. Heart etc are under more strain if 6ft 5 than if 5ft 0. Women carry more fat so can survive famine (historically fairly common) better. Important for species as women more important for children survival than men.
They did research into Swedish, ( I think) athletes. Compared basket ball players and cross country skiers who were about 7 inches smaller and lived about 7 years longer.

Jujujudo · 04/10/2025 16:33

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 04/10/2025 16:09

Why wouldn’t men be more useful in old age though? It’s not as if women can breastfeed in old age. We aren’t physically useful, so why can’t men make themselves useful too?

I just watched an amazing lecture on this. It’s to do with us being one of the only animals who have a menopause yet continue to essential to our family despite not being able to reproduce, and that older females are needed to maintain the evolutionary structure of society. We are wiser, have experiences to pass on, help with younger generations bringing up their children, impart knowledge etc . It was so interesting!

SpottyAardvark · 04/10/2025 16:34

My understanding is that it’s multi-factorial and that those factors cumulatively result in significantly lower life expectancy for men than women.

Men fight wars, women don’t. Historically, men did almost all the dangerous jobs (not many female coal miners) and were therefore much more likely to contract life-limiting illness as a result. Men drank alcohol & smoked more than women. Men have always been much more likely to die young as a result of violence, accidents, risk taking behaviour etc. Female risk-aversion is quite a sensible strategy if you want to live longer…

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 04/10/2025 16:35

Jujujudo · 04/10/2025 16:33

I just watched an amazing lecture on this. It’s to do with us being one of the only animals who have a menopause yet continue to essential to our family despite not being able to reproduce, and that older females are needed to maintain the evolutionary structure of society. We are wiser, have experiences to pass on, help with younger generations bringing up their children, impart knowledge etc . It was so interesting!

I remember that! So the issue is, men can’t be allowed to live on because they can’t stop thinking with their dicks!