Biology 

Hormones in the human body–whether assigned male or female at birth are the same in kind, but their percentages make all the difference, add to it each body is unique. Genes, geography and nutritional factors play a large role in how hormones affect us. The content that follows refers to the distinguishing factors between the role of hormones on those assigned male or female at birth. Equality in rights, wages, and say in matters is always what we advocate. This piece of content only aims to highlight the differences in bodies, while realising that humans are complex and unique, there is much more to a person than just their gender.

The mystery of chemistry

Women are often declared hormonal–there’s great debate on menstrual leave. Even more is the added stress on women’s bodies to snap back to normalcy after birth. Women find the need to justify and match up to their male counterparts. Statements like ‘Whatever you can do, I can do bleeding’ or ‘I returned to my desk 3 weeks after giving birth’ are made with pride, no matter the cost they come at. When the biological make up of one sex is so vastly different from the other–the narrative needs to change. Women are also often considered the weaker sex, physically speaking - the recent Nike video is shattering all stereotypes. A man crying openly is a startling sight. Several industries discriminate against having women in the workforce as they are considered to be underperformers or lacking the strength or focus to carry out their jobs. Let’s keep patriarchy aside for this conversation to delve into the details of which of these claims are true and not. So much of what we through emotionally and physically is intrinsically tied to our endocrine system. 

While we may be aware that feeling bloated and tired a few days before one’s period is normal, there’s more the changing levels of hormones in your body than meets the eye.  Male hormones such as testosterone are called androgens. Female hormones comprise of two groups estrogen and progesterone. Females undergo menstrual cycles from puberty until menopause. Essentially, males have a 24-hour hormone cycle while females have a 28-day cycle. 

It’s not all in the mind

Over the years research has proven some facts that have evolved into stereotypes. Men are more prone to being dependent on alcohol. Women are more anxious than men. Women ruminate over their problems, men tend to look for distractions to cope with the situation. Gonadal hormones have a connection to premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postnatal depression and psychosis, perimenopausal depression. Females reach sexual maturity before males. Estrogen is released in conjunction with menstrual cycles. Besides promoting nerve growth it is closely related to mood cycles. Just how exactly estrogen impacts females is not well known, but it is closely tied to the creation of serotonin–or the happy chemical within us. Similarly, drops in testosterone levels affect men. A drop in testosterone is termed andropause, which can be compared to menopause. As men age altered ratios of testosterone and oestradiol cause issues such as lack of sleep, irritability, depression and memory loss in males. 

Let’s talk about sex baby

Testosterone peaks in the mornings. This means males tend to be more energetic, confident, impulsive as well as have a higher sex drive in the morning.  As the day goes by the testosterone levels lower especially at nights when their libido is at its  lowest. Caffeine and alcohol consumption leads to a spike in testosterone levels. For females, during the follicular phase of your menstrual cycle is when estrogen levels rise leading to better moods. Women are likely to feel more confident during this phase. Higher than normal levels of estrogen in men can cause infertility, erectile dysfunction and depression while lower than normal levels of the hormone can lead to osteoporosis and a low sex drive. Post partum depression in women can also be linked to a massive dip in estrogen after delivery. 

Burn baby burn

Insulin, cortisol, progesterone, and thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) are the hormones that play a key role in metabolism. From puberty to menopause, women have a higher amount of fat stored in their bodies. Women gain weight during pregnancies for the simple reason that gestation requires a high amount of energy.  Even though women burn fat quicker than men during exercise, their bodies are more efficient at storing fat during the non-exercise periods. Exercise helps your body regulate hormone levels and hence helps with shedding of excess weight. Low testosterone in men can be linked to obesity. This can be further linked to the reduction in levels of a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) which is caused due to insulin resistance. Very low physical activity and genetics play a huge role in the body’s regulation of insulin. A high content of sugar in one’s diet causes elevated leptin levels (leptin is a hormone in your fat tissue that regulates hunger) and insulin resistance. A high processed sugar diet and late nights cause leptin and ghrelin imbalance.

Stress Test

Modern urban lives are rarely without stress. Contributing factors can vary from lifestyle choices to work pressures. Keeping stress unchecked can not only cause mental duress but put your life at risk. When under stress, your body releases excessive cortisol which increases glucose in your bloodstream. In a nutshell, your brain helps your body focus in fight or flight mode until the perceived threat passes. Higher cortisol in one’s body means lowered estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to multiple complications. From panic attacks to irregular periods, lowered libidos, stress affects women in several ways. Men tend to self-isolate, become pessimistic, are prone to cardiovascular diseases and experience insomnia amongst other symptoms.