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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:
pottylolly · 06/10/2025 21:10

MrsTerryPratchett · 06/10/2025 20:25

This. Evolution is essentially:

  1. Did you live long enough to reproduce?
  2. Did you get enough of those offspring to reproductive age?
  3. Did they reproduce?

There’s some stuff about conferring advantage on relatives. Cousins, nieces etc. for their portion of your DNA, which accounts for things like heritability of same sex attraction. But it’s basically all about sex and death.

That’s why the Darwin Awards only gives prizes for those two things.

So true. Huntingtons and Parkinsons are both associated with super-fertility and a greater physical attractiveness (eg symmetrical features etc) which is why these conditions haven’t been wiped out.

IAintAfraidOfNoGoat · 06/10/2025 21:15

Only a handful of species go through menopause, and each of the other species tend to have matriarchal communities which keep them peaceful. That’ll be the evolutionary reason why women live longer than men.

Humans have stupid men who forced patriarchy upon us and silenced women over centuries and denied us peaceful communities. Wankers.

dumberthanaboxofrocks · 06/10/2025 21:36

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?

Cos they’re busy telling everyone about a fight they won in 1967

Cheese55 · 06/10/2025 21:42

We are meant to look after the young offspring. Can't rely on men to do that. Not skilled enough!

NewAgeNewMe · 06/10/2025 22:12

Great thread.

PrincessSophieFrederike · 06/10/2025 22:25

pottylolly · 06/10/2025 21:06

Amongst women. Not necessarily amongst men. Many women can and do have consensual sex with male carers. It’s an open secret.

Interesting, had no idea. Do the elderly men do this less?

Makes me glad my grandmother lives with our family (I'm a uni student) so we can keep an eye on her! 🤣

Umidontknow · 08/10/2025 20:57

Apart from medically, I think with the older generation many of the men couldn't really look after themselves. My grandad was an extremely skilled carpenter but he nearly set the house on fire when he tried to make a meal when my grandma was ill. They had a very happy, loving and supportive marriage, but he worked full time to pay the bills and she ran the house and worked part time. If she had died first he wouldn't have known what to do to survive 🙈

Cheese55 · 08/10/2025 20:58

Thats why they re marry so quickly !

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