THE THINGS MOST MEN AND MAYBE EVEN SOME WOMEN DON’T KNOW ABOUT WOMEN’S BODIES.
Men like to think they know a lot about women, but women—in both mind and body—are complex. While we can’t necessarily help men understand what their girlfriend or mother is thinking, after talking with experts we can let them in on a few interesting and intimate facts about women’s bodies they probably didn’t know. And for more gender health knowledge, check out 17 Diseases More Common in Men Than in Women.
1
Women can see a larger spectrum of colors than men.
If you’ve ever felt like women and men see the world differently, you’re not totally wrong. A study led by psychology professor Israel Abramov found that “women were more adept at distinguishing between subtle gradations than were men,” according to Smithsonian Magazine. This disparity was most apparent in the middle of the color spectrum—Abramov found that women were better able to distinguish tiny differences in color hues that were yellow or green. For tips on how to stay calm during the coronavirus pandemic, check out
2
Women have a better sense of smell.
For better or worse, women have a stronger sense of smell than men. A study published in PLOS ONE found that “women’s brains have up to 50 percent more olfactory neurons.” And while scientists believe this is likely a contributing factor to women’s superior sense of smell, they think there is more to it than that. According to Medical News Today, some experts believe “a superior sense of smell helps mother and child to bond after birth” and “influences females’ selection of potential mates.”
3
Women’s brains are better suited for remembering details.
Women’s more sizable hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) are responsible for some of the differences between how men and women think.
“The PFC controls social behavior, cause and effect thinking, and judgment,” says Kimberly Langdon, OBGYN and medical advisor at Medzino Health. “[It] develops at a younger age in girls, and this is why they take fewer risks than boys of the same age.” The PFC is also responsible for why women have a more acute capacity for details. “Women include more details in their decision-making or in conversations, which is why men think they talk more or take longer to express themselves,” Langdon says.
4
Women’s bodies can’t process as much alcohol as men’s can.
The longstanding belief that women generally get drunk more readily than men has some scientific backing to it. “Women have less of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol before it can get into the bloodstream, which is why women get inebriated on less amount of alcohol,” says Langdon. So, the level to which you get intoxicated is not fully dependent on weight and muscle mass, as is commonly believed.
5
Women have stronger immune systems than men.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve seen the virus infecting men at a higher rate than women. While this could be a result of a few factors, women have been proven to fight off infections better than men at every age.
“It’s partly due to estrogen—in the younger years—but also due to the extra X chromosome,” says Felice Gersh, MD, founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group. “Some of it stays active throughout the entire female’s life, and it endows her with a more powerful immune system.” For more information on the role gender plays when it comes to COVID-19
6
Women feel pain more acutely than men do.
This fact blows the long-held belief that men are stronger than women out of the water.
“Women have more immune cells and respond more robustly to injuries and infections, which results in a heightened pain response,” says Gersh. And a study published by the Journal of Pain found that when it came to “a number of different diseases, including diabetes, arthritis, and certain respiratory infections,” women reported feeling more pain than men.
Neuromusculoskeletal specialist Lawrence Barnard, DO, says women “experience worse pain and discomfort in their joints, specifically,” and they are more likely to experience arthritis. “We all know that women have an incredible threshold for pain, as seen in childbirth and other awesome feats, but this little fact isn’t meant to minimize their capabilities, but showcase how they do experience more pain and aches,” Barnard says.
7
9
Women store fat around the hips, abdomen, and buttocks.
Not all bodies are the same, but fat stores are most commonly found on women around the hips, abdomen, and buttocks. Langdon says this is “to keep the fat stores (food) near the growing uterus and fetus during pregnancy.” Women’s bodies start preparing for childbearing well before they even consider conceiving. To learn about how feeling overwhelmed impacts your health,
10
Women experience less heart disease than men.
If you’re thinking women have less heart disease because they have less stress in their lives, you would be wrong. “The hormones of premenopausal women seem to be protective against heart disease,” says fertility expert Zaher Merhi, MD, OBGYN. This logic tracks when you consider that “women have fewer heart attacks than men prior to menopause, but by age 65, they are equals,” according to Gersh.
11
Sperm lives longer than the egg in women’s bodies.
Women’s bodies allow the foreign sperm to live much longer than their own egg inside their reproductive system. “While the egg lives for one day after ovulation, the sperm lives for [on average] three days after ejaculation inside the woman’s body,” says Merhi. According to Natural Cycles, more determined sperm can survive as long as five days in a women’s reproductive system.
12
Women make testosterone.
While testosterone is often thought of as the male hormone, women do actually produce some as well. For women, testosterone “is needed for drive and bone formation/health,” Langdon says. However, women do make the hormone at much lower quantities than men do.
13
The vagina shrinks after menopause.
The vaginal shrinkage that follows menopause is a result of the decline in estrogen. Additionally, vaginal “lining becomes smooth with less rugae [or ridges],” says Langdon.
14
Women’s menstrual cycles can sync up.
“In ancient times, women cycled together with the phases of the moon,” Gersh says. Even in modern times, women often find themselves menstruating at the same time as their roommates or friends. According to Healthline, period syncing—also known as “menstrual synchrony” and “the McClintock effect”—is based on the theory that when a woman comes into physical contact with another woman, their pheromones influence each other causing their monthly cycles to line up.
16
Women get more cavities than men.
“There are a host of studies that have found that tooth decay is more prevalent in women,” says Pia Lieb, DDS, founder of Cosmetic Dentistry Center NYC. “This is due to things such as salivary composition and flow, hormone fluctuation, and dietary habits.”
According to a study by the University of Oregon, these disparities between genders go back to the hunter-and-gatherer days, Science Daily reported. John R. Lukacs, a professor of anthropology who specializes in dental research, said, “Reproduction pressures and rising fertility explain why women suffered a more rapid decline in dental health than did men as humans transitioned from hunter-and-gatherers to farmers and more sedentary pursuits.”
17
Women smile more than men.
“Women smile about 62 times—or more—a day, compared to men who smile eight times a day, on average,” says Lieb. This fact begs the question, are women happier on average, or do they feel the need to seem happier more frequently?