sexspecific

Sex-specific refers to characteristics, conditions, or responses that are determined by biological sex and occur predominantly or exclusively in one sex. The term is used across biology, medicine, and agriculture to describe traits shaped by genetic factors, chromosomal makeup, and hormonal milieu. It is distinct from terms such as sex-linked, sex-limited, and sex-influenced, which describe different genetic patterns.

Sex-linked traits are tied to genes on sex chromosomes; sex-limited traits occur primarily in one sex because of anatomy or hormones; sex-influenced traits are expressed differently in the two sexes, often due to hormones, but can appear in both.

Examples include sex-specific processes such as pregnancy and lactation in females; sex differences in disease incidence and presentation, such as autoimmune diseases being more common in women or cardiovascular disease showing sex-specific risk profiles; and sex-specific traits in animals, such as certain secondary sexual characteristics or mating displays that are more prominent in one sex.

In research and medicine, recognizing sex-specific differences helps tailor diagnostics, risk assessments, and treatments. Clinical trials increasingly analyze results by sex to identify differential drug responses and adverse effects. The term is distinct from gender, which refers to social identity and roles rather than biological attributes.