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Summary:

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Analysis of mortality figures by age reveals that there are four periods in the life cycle in which males experience surges in life-years lost. These phases are different in the nature of the deaths and in the causality of those deaths.

The first phase is before birth, when the deaths may be modulated through maternal behaviour. The second is essentially in extended adolescence and is related to risk-taking behaviours. The third is from mid 40s to 60s, and this phase can be affected by changes in behaviour before and during these years. The final phase is in old age, where there are few clues, except that the response to therapy of males of these advanced years may be very different from that of females. Both the beginning and end of life may reflect fundamentally different male and female needs of the environment.

From Conception to Birth

1. Historical and contemporary references in the published literature show this to be a period when male foetuses, although a majority at fertilisation, are lost in disproportionately large numbers.
2. This extra loss is associated with small foetal size. Basic maternal health and nutritional state are demonstrated links.
3. There may be a relationship with maternal smoking and drinking.
4. There is evidence that events before birth can subsequently affect survival and health at later stages in life.

Teens to Thirties

Accidents, suicide and mental disorders (esp. drugs) dominate excess male morbidity and mortality at this phase. These are typically deaths from deliberate involvement in dangerous acts. We refer to this as risk-taking behaviour. Suicide in males of this young age is differentiated from females in being less a cry for help and more an expression of violent response.

We are able to show that risk-taking tendency is already well established by the early teens, predominates in males, and is associated with a range of unhealthy behaviour indicators.

Even before the early teens, the male risk-associated death rate is 50% higher than the female. This risk ratio rises to a six-fold ratio in some aspects of behaviour by the mid 20s. We may indicate an average 3:1 M:F ratio over the risk-taking years 15-35.

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