Abstract
Although sex and gender have a major impact on the susceptibility and immunologic
response to infectious diseases, these factors are often neglected. Identifying the
mechanisms underlying sex-based differences in infectious diseases will facilitate
the rational design and implementation of preventive and therapeutic strategies that
reduce risk and improve outcomes for women and men. In this article, we discuss two
examples in neuroinfectious diseases of how sex matters: (1) the heightened risk of
cerebrovascular disease in women living with HIV infection and (2) the implications
of Zika virus infection on sexual and reproductive health and vaccine development
for women.
Keywords
sex differences - women's health - HIV infection - stroke - zika virus
