Pregnancy Compensation Hypothesis (IMAGE)

Arizona State University

Pregnancy Compensation Hypothesis

Caption

The Pregnancy Compensation Hypothesis suggests that evolution shaped men's and women's immune systems differently. It also suggests that in modern, industrialized populations, the reduced amount of time women spend pregnant and lactating, and other environmental effects on hormone levels, explains sexual differences in the risk for autoimmune diseases and certain cancers.

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Jacob Sahertian/ASU VisLab

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