From the Editors; Women's Health; Scientific American Presents; by Rennie; 1 Page(s)

When women make up half the human race, does it really make sense to isolate "women's health" from health in general? Is what's left over automatically "men's health" by default, or is there a gender-neutral category, too? During the many months of preparation that went into this issue, the editors had plenty of time to ponder those questions. Comfortingly, we also had a steady stream of expert advice and evidence confirming our decision to focus on this important, timely topic.

Just as we were going to press, for example, headlines proclaimed "Women More Sensitive to Pain but Cope Better than Men." Researchers at Ohio University documented that although women's experience of pain was often worse, their emotional recovery was quicker. Then came news that women and men respond oppositely to some experimental painkillers. These discoveries underscored how subtle differences between the sexes can weigh powerfully on health and happiness.