Women's Health Home Page

According to data compiled and analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women outlive men by seven years, on average. Evidence indicates that this is true starting prior to birth and continuing into very old age. In fact, women represent 71 percent of persons 85 years of age and older. 

The reasons behind these statistics remain a mystery. Some say it is because, in general, men are larger, therefore they have more cells in which things can go wrong. Others say that violence causes the disparity, and indeed, homicide, suicide, and accidents are among the top 10 leading causes of death in men. Another common explanation is that women have more conditions that require visits to their physicians, which gives  them better access to preventive care and early detection. The answer, of course, is probably found in a combination of many factors.

One thing is sure, throughout their adult years, women's medical needs continually change.