The past two decades have seen considerable activism by women to improve the quality of their health and health care. Recently men too have begun to draw attention to the negative implications of “maleness” for their health. There is an increasing danger that these campaigns could be drawn into conflict with each other as they compete for public sympathy and scarce resources. A clearer understanding of the impact of both sex and gender on health can provide the foundation for gender sensitive policies that take seriously the needs of both women and men.