Dealing with drug side effects

January 2004     View PDF     En español

Are women different?

Women may experience a different type or frequency in side effects compared to men, including therapies not related to HIV. Why this is so is not well understood. It may be due to differences in the way a woman’s body breaks down or stores drugs. Generally speaking, women have smaller body weight/sizes than men. It may be that, for their weight, some women take too high a dose of drug. This could also be an issue for men with small frames. Women’s hormones may also affect drugs. Or it may be due to other unknown differences. Still, current information about side effects remains useful in guiding the ways women manage them.