{
  "id": 17169,
  "title": "More women die in heatwaves, but biology 'isn't main cause'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/more-women-die-in-heatwaves-but-biology-isnt-main-cause",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-01T11:04:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW News",
    "slug": "dw-news",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/more-women-die-in-heatwaves-but-biology-isn-t-main-cause/a-78187451?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent heatwaves in Europe have highlighted a troubling trend: more women are succumbing to heat-related fatalities than men. In 2022, a study revealed that women experienced 56% more heat-related deaths than men, drawing on mortality data from 35 countries. Germany has echoed this pattern once again this year, with close to 9,800 heat-related deaths by mid-July, as reported by the Robert Koch Institute. While some media outlets have attributed this disparity to biological factors, such as women's bodies being less equipped for heat, experts argue that the evidence is inconclusive. Alexandra Schneider, an environmental epidemiologist at Helmholtz Munich, emphasizes that studies typically show only a slight increase in vulnerability to heat in women compared to men. Hormones, such as progesterone, can increase core temperature, but the differences among individuals are more significant than one might think.\n\nOlder women, particularly those post-menopausal, are at the highest risk, likely due to heightened cardiovascular concerns. However, Schneider contends that living conditions and social environments play a more substantial role in the increased death toll among women. Toby Mündel, a kinesiology professor at Brock University in Canada, also disputes the notion that biological sex is the primary driver of the extra deaths. He points to factors like age, body size, fitness, and habitual activity as the key determinants of how an individual copes with heatwaves. Mündel highlights that while women do sweat less than men, they compensate by widening their blood vessels more efficiently, allowing heat to escape through the skin.\n\nPregnancy is another example where women display greater heat tolerance as the condition progresses. Mündel emphasizes the distinction between physiology and circumstance, stressing that pregnant women should not be expected to engage in heavy outdoor labor during extreme heat. He also references a research gap, noting that there is a significant lack of data on women in relation to heat stress. In Germany, the higher female death toll is attributed to the larger proportion of women in older age groups, with the male death rate exceeding the female rate in every older age band throughout the summer. Laurie Parsons, a researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London, reveals that women often endure more working hours under heat stress than men, with the disparity ranging from 30% to 50% in various sectors, such as construction and garment factories. These differences can be attributed to structural factors, such as women wearing more clothing for similar jobs, being less likely to request breaks, and their work often being less visibly strenuous. Parsons argues that women's heat stress is a persistent, less visible issue, compounded by the responsibilities they shoulder beyond work, such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare. Moreover, heat stress contributes to decreased productivity and lower income for women, particularly in the self-employed sector, creating a vicious cycle of worsening health and reduced earnings. Parsons concludes that heat stress is not merely a physiological issue but a deeply rooted social condition, exacerbated by the atmospheric circumstances.",
  "summary": "In country after country, more women are dying from the heat than men. But researchers say biology isn't the main reason. Age, working conditions, and unequal access to rest may drive the gap.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/17169.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Deutsche Welle Science",
        "title": "More women die in heatwaves, but biology 'isn't main cause'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/more-women-die-in-heatwaves-but-biology-isnt-main-cause-18398",
        "published": "2026-08-01T11:04:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}