Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case study
Whatever the population, wherever the place, whenever the period, sex has been an essential demographic variable for surveillance. However, the distinction between “sex” and “gender” has not always been well understood or acknowledged by those of us engaged in public health surveillance. Sex refers...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific
2012-08-01
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| Series: | Western Pacific Surveillance and Response |
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| Online Access: | http://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/156/151 |
| _version_ | 1818946261408022528 |
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| author | Yuzo Arima Jozika Skufca |
| author_facet | Yuzo Arima Jozika Skufca |
| author_sort | Yuzo Arima |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Whatever the population, wherever the place, whenever the period, sex has been an essential demographic variable for surveillance. However, the distinction between “sex” and “gender” has not always been well understood or acknowledged by those of us engaged in public health surveillance. Sex refers to the biological and physiological factors that define males and females, while gender refers to socially constructed roles and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women. While both sex and gender factors contribute to reported surveillance data, their full contributions are often not recognized. When such data are then used to ascertain sex/gender differential in disease risk without caution, the complete picture behind the observed distribution may be missed or misinterpreted. Using leptospirosis as a case example, we describe the importance of interpreting surveillance data with a more gender-sensitive perspective, considering the various biological and social factors behind the reported numbers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:12:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b1880b5dbee2473791b2fe9371750216 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2094-7321 2094-7313 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:12:12Z |
| publishDate | 2012-08-01 |
| publisher | World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Western Pacific Surveillance and Response |
| spelling | doaj.art-b1880b5dbee2473791b2fe93717502162022-12-21T19:47:14ZengWorld Health Organization Regional Office for the Western PacificWestern Pacific Surveillance and Response2094-73212094-73132012-08-0133373910.5365/wpsar.2012.3.3.001Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case studyYuzo ArimaJozika SkufcaWhatever the population, wherever the place, whenever the period, sex has been an essential demographic variable for surveillance. However, the distinction between “sex” and “gender” has not always been well understood or acknowledged by those of us engaged in public health surveillance. Sex refers to the biological and physiological factors that define males and females, while gender refers to socially constructed roles and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women. While both sex and gender factors contribute to reported surveillance data, their full contributions are often not recognized. When such data are then used to ascertain sex/gender differential in disease risk without caution, the complete picture behind the observed distribution may be missed or misinterpreted. Using leptospirosis as a case example, we describe the importance of interpreting surveillance data with a more gender-sensitive perspective, considering the various biological and social factors behind the reported numbers.http://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/156/151sexgenderemerging infectious diseasesleptospirosiscase study |
| spellingShingle | Yuzo Arima Jozika Skufca Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case study Western Pacific Surveillance and Response sex gender emerging infectious diseases leptospirosis case study |
| title | Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case study |
| title_full | Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case study |
| title_fullStr | Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case study |
| title_short | Sex, gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance: a leptospirosis case study |
| title_sort | sex gender and emerging infectious disease surveillance a leptospirosis case study |
| topic | sex gender emerging infectious diseases leptospirosis case study |
| url | http://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/156/151 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuzoarima sexgenderandemerginginfectiousdiseasesurveillancealeptospirosiscasestudy AT jozikaskufca sexgenderandemerginginfectiousdiseasesurveillancealeptospirosiscasestudy |