Why do women and men develop certain diseases differently? Why are certain symptoms recognized later in women—and why aren’t medications and medical guidelines always researched equally for all genders? Gender plays a role in many areas of medicine: from biological mechanisms to symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, all the way to risk perception and health behaviors. At the same time, “gender” has long been not only a scientific category but also the subject of social and political debates.

This lecture examines the development of gender-sensitive medicine and, using examples from various medical specialties, explains in accessible terms what research currently knows about gender-specific differences—and where gaps in the evidence still exist. As a health psychologist, I pay particular attention to the question of how scientific findings on gender can be communicated in a way that is both understandable and nuanced.