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Male and female flu - are they really different?
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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According to men, colds and viral diseases are much more severe for them than for women.
There are legends and jokes about how men cope with the flu. The symptoms that the strong half of humanity describes can only be compared in severity to a near-death state. Why does this happen: perhaps men really feel that bad, or are they prone to exaggeration?
Here are some lines you can read in the Urban Dictionary of American slang: "If your boyfriend is sick, he will complain about all possible symptoms, including sincerely wishing for compassion for himself. However, at the same time, he will reject any means of help that will be offered from your side."
This state of affairs causes different emotions in women – from a smile to genuine irritation. If we take into account that men should initially be masculine, then women often do not take into account the groans of the “second half” and even joke about it.
However, it turns out that gender does matter in the development and course of colds and flu. Scientists have proven this in a recent experiment.
So, is it true that the male population is unfairly accused of faking it?
Professor Kyle Sue, representing Canada's Memorial University in Newfoundland, analyzed previously conducted experiments on this issue in order to determine the cause of male "whims" during colds and acute respiratory viral infections.
The results of the analysis turned out to be quite interesting, for both male and female representatives of humanity.
“Treating ‘male’ flu as yet another simulation of symptoms can lead to insufficient care and treatment for truly sick patients,” the doctor believes.
As it turned out, according to statistics, adult male patients are hospitalized more often than women for influenza, and even more often die from infectious complications. A more thorough analysis also proved that ARVI affects men more often: women get sick less often.
Therefore, it turns out that flu and acute respiratory viral infections are more dangerous for the male population of the planet. An experiment on rodents led scientists to the following conclusion: "Due to the high testosterone content in men, their immune response to antiviral vaccines is weaker. This indicates the presence of an immunosuppressive effect of this hormone."
"The modern common opinion about the "male" course of flu is, at the very least, unfair. Strong representatives of humanity are able to somewhat exaggerate their painful sensations, but their immune response is actually weaker, which explains the increased incidence and mortality," the researchers explain.
Apparently, women will have to reconsider their attitude towards capricious “faithful ones” who, during periods of illness, really require both compassion and real medical assistance.
Professor Sue's findings were published in the British Medical Journal.
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