A short conversational transcript (YouTube #shorts) exploring why women experience higher rates of autoimmunity. Speakers weigh biological sex differences (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), socially constructed gender differences (cultural conditioning and boundaries), and the possible role of mitochondria—especially impacts from pregnancy, postpartum, and estrogen changes around age ~40.
But why do women have so many specific issues with autoimmunity?
It's a critical question. I don't know that we have the answer. Rob. I feel like hormones are a big part of the story is sex differences. So differences in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and then differences that are gender differences, and those are more socially constructed.
Right.
So the way our culture conditions women maybe conditions them into a place where boundaries are more difficult to hold. Because I think autoimmunity involves boundaries. And then I think there's also. I would put this under the sex difference. I'm getting increasingly interested in the role of mitochondria and how mitochondria could be part of the story when it comes to autoimmunity. And women often take a hit to their mitochondria in different ways than men do. Like, especially with pregnancy, postpartum, and then with the change in estrogen that occurs in women around age 40.
And as this. You just made me think this. I have a lovely daughter who went through puberty. And the changes that are accompanied through the differences that I had a son and a daughter.
