Autoimmune diseases affect 80% of women when compared to men, making it a striking example of gender-based health disparity. An autoimmune condition is one where your body’s own antibodies affect your own body tissues.
Various factors contribute to the higher likelihood of observing these conditions among women. We will try to understand what these factors might be and when it would be ideal to check in with your doctor for any symptoms you have.
What are the factors that play a role in autoimmune diseases among women?
Your hormones
Estrogen and progesterone have a significant influence on immune regulation. Estrogen enhances immune response, which usually helps women fight infections more efficiently. However, this enhancement may also have a negative effect, resulting in immune overactivity, which is the underlying cause of autoimmunity.
Hormonal fluctuations throughout the cycle result in symptoms flaring when estrogen or progesterone peaks. Similarly, women may also notice a change in the symptoms, either an increase or a decrease, during puberty, pregnancy, and in menopause.
Your genes and chromosomes
The X chromosomes have more active genes than the smaller Y chromosome. While for women this is great, as there is always a backup, sometimes this might be too much of a good thing. Some of the active genes regulate immunity and inflammation. This means that the susceptibility to autoimmunity is higher for women. Epigenetic differences, how genes are turned on and off, may also amplify these effects.1
Your environment
Air pollution, psychosocial stressors, chemical exposures, or extreme weather changes are also more likely to affect women negatively. All the factors within the environment have also been linked as possible causative factors for developing autoimmune conditions. When adding all the factors, women have a generally higher likelihood of developing an autoimmune condition.
Limitations in research
While this is not directly a causal link, it is the reason why there is a higher prevalence rate of autoimmune conditions among women. Symptoms such as pain, fatigue, pigmentation, and joint aches in women can be dismissed for years before it is linked to an autoimmune condition. This results in delayed management and women living longer with debilitating symptoms than receiving relief.
What are the most common autoimmune conditions that affect women?
While there are more than a hundred autoimmune conditions that have been identified, only a handful present repeatedly among women.
A common one is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The condition has a global average of 7.5% of which women have higher prevalence rates.2 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis results in hypothyroidism, or an underfunctioning thyroid. Common symptoms are fatigue, weight gain, and generalized lethargy.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) follows closely, being three times more likely to affect women than men 3 Antibodies attack the joint capsules, causing inflammation to the joints, resulting in pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility. Women often have a reduced quality of life, even as RA medications can have significant side effects.
Nine out of ten patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are women. Lupus is frequently diagnosed in reproductive years.4 Lupus has overlapping symptoms with many other autoimmune conditions, which is a primary reason diagnosis can be delayed.
This pattern shows that not only the biological influences contribute, but lifestyle and the environment might be triggering autoimmune conditions, earlier and with increased severity, among women. This underscores the importance of recognizing early, especially the subtle symptoms.
When should I see a doctor?
The earlier you visit a doctor for symptoms of an autoimmune condition, the better the outcomes are expected. You should see a healthcare professional if you experience:
- Persistent fatigue
- Unexplained joint pain
- Recurring rashes
- Digestive issues
- Unexplained weight gain
- Unexplained hair loss
- Symptoms fluctuate with your menstrual cycle
If you have a family history of autoimmune diseases, it also warrants a check-up to identify whether you are at risk of developing an autoimmune condition as well.
To wrap up
Autoimmune conditions are among the most common challenges in women’s health. The differing biology, hormones, and environmental impact play a pivotal role in how women are affected by autoimmune conditions. If you experience persistent symptoms, especially if they don’t have a definite pattern, it would be ideal to get them checked with your healthcare professional for an autoimmune condition.
References:
- Stanford Medicine-led study shows why women are at greater risk of autoimmune disease. (2025, July 1). News Center. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/02/women-autoimmune.html
- Vargas-Uricoechea, H., Castellanos-Pinedo, A., Urrego-Noguera, K., Pinzón-Fernández, M. V., Meza-Cabrera, I. A., & Vargas-Sierra, H. (2025). A scoping review on the prevalence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the possible associated factors. Medical Sciences, 13(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci13020043
- World Health Organization: WHO & World Health Organization: WHO. (2023, June 28). Rheumatoid arthritis. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rheumatoid-arthritis
- Ameer, M. A., Chaudhry, H., Mushtaq, J., Khan, O. S., Babar, M., Hashim, T., Zeb, S., Tariq, M. A., Patlolla, S. R., Ali, J., Hashim, S. N., & Hashim, S. (2022). An overview of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis, classification, and management. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.30330
