09/03/2026
🌸 Women’s Month Feature: Women, Immunology & Allergies 🌸
Women play a powerful role in both the science of immunology and in how the immune system behaves in the body.
🔬 Women are shaping the field of immunology
In some workforce datasets, women represent around half or more of immunology professionals, reflecting the growing presence of women in biomedical sciences and clinical allergy practice.
🌷 Hormones influence the immune response
Female hormones—particularly estrogen and progesterone—can influence the activity of immune cells such as mast cells, eosinophils, and T lymphocytes. Because of these hormonal influences, some women may notice changes in allergy symptoms during different life stages, including:
• menstrual cycles
• pregnancy
• use of hormonal contraceptives
• menopause
🛡️ Women tend to have stronger immune responses
One of the most interesting findings in immunology is that women often generate stronger immune responses than men. This means that women may produce higher levels of antibodies and stronger inflammatory responses when exposed to infections or vaccines.
This stronger immunity can be beneficial because it may improve protection against certain infections. However, it can also contribute to the higher rates of allergic and autoimmune diseases seen in women.
In fact, many immune-mediated diseases—including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
🌷 This Women’s Month, we celebrate the strength of women—not only as scientists, physicians, and healthcare workers, but also as individuals whose bodies demonstrate the remarkable complexity of the immune system.
References:
Shah NM & Newcomb DC. S*x Bias in Asthma and Allergy. Frontiers in Immunology (2018).
British Society for Immunology workforce data.
Klein SL & Flanagan KL. S*x differences in immune responses. Nature Reviews Immunology (2016).
Shah NM & Newcomb DC. Frontiers in Immunology (2018).
Klein SL & Flanagan KL. Nature Reviews Immunology (2016).
Ngo ST et al. S*x differences in autoimmune disease. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology (2014).
