WOMENS HEALTH

Although women live longer than men, new evidence indicates women bear a disproportionately heavy burden of disease. The effect of disease o n economic productivity of women in developing countries has been larg ely ignored. Infections are often causes of disease in women, includin g those that affect reproductive health. Although men and women usuall y experience similar rates of many diseases, rates of exposure and tre atment vary between men and women. If untreated, factors adversely aff ecting women's health in one stage compound women's ill health in succ eeding stages.