Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. It is estimated that they affect 5% of the world's population, and about 78% of them are women. In certain diseases, such as lupus erythematosus or autoimmune thyroiditis, the ratio reaches 9:1 in favor of women. This gender gap has attracted the attention of researchers for a long time, but only in recent years have studies begun to shed light not only on biological mechanisms, but also on how the health system responds to patients' complaints. Photo: Shutterstock.com Subscribe to AIF. Health in Max.

Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. It is estimated that they affect 5% of the world's population, and about 78% of them are women. In certain diseases, such as lupus erythematosus or autoimmune thyroiditis, the ratio reaches 9:1 in favor of women. This gender gap has attracted the attention of researchers for a long time, but only in recent years have studies begun to shed light not only on biological mechanisms, but also on how the health system responds to patients' complaints. Photo: Shutterstock.com Subscribe to AIF. Health in Max.