Sex and Gender: 
Sex and gender are often been confused for having the same meaning. To fully understand how they affect health, there needs to be a clear distinction between them. Interchanging the two words can introduce forms of bias and be harmful to research.
What is Sex?
Sex is the natural condition of a person. It refers to biological and physical characteristics[i]. Someone is male or female depending on what features they are born with. There are some exceptions with people who aren’t born with a clearly identifiable sex- this is referred to as intersex. This includes:
- Chromosomes
- Hormones
- Sex organs
What is Gender?
Gender is the social role of a male or female. It is more complex than sex and is formed through a variety of factors. Society teaches expectations, norms, and relationships that influence a person’s gender role as either masculine or feminine. Gender affects a variety of areas including[ii]:
- economic (income, credit);
- social (social networks);
- political (leadership, participation);
- information and education (health literacy, academic);
- time (access to health services); and
- internal (self confidence/esteem)
Gender is harmful when it limits resources and opportunity in these areas either through passive stereotyping or outward prejudice.
Why does it matter?
The interchangeability between the words sex and gender ignores the complex relationship between the two words and how they affect each other. This includes the health field where research still doesn’t account for biological sex or physiological gender differences. Promoting an understanding of the difference between sex and gender will enable for there to be more equitable health and research practices.
[i] Nobelius, A. (2004, June 23). What is the difference between sex and gender? Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.med.monash.edu.au/gendermed/sexandgender.html
[ii] Gender. (2015, August). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from