ABSTRACT
This selection provides an introduction to subsequent readings on sex and gender by defining these terms and illustrating how gender constructions and sex-linked biology can affect exposure to particular health conditions, the treatment of illness, and the outcome of sickness. Clarity in talking about sex and gender is necessary in light of popular and medical confusion about their meaning and the tendency of many researchers to use the terms interchangeably or to focus on only one or the other dimension in health research. In practice, people are both sexed and gendered, making it necessary to examine both levels together.
