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Article: Letters
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 8, 1995
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Survival of the Sexes
Michael H. Dogherty (Horizon, Letters, Jan. 11) puts forth an
interesting hypothesis as to why women outlive men. His contention is
that "women live seven years longer than men because...men were most
necessary to protect women during childbearing...after which they
lose their usefulness."
Wrong.
Men are most useful, indeed, essential in helping (if that's not
too conservative a term) women to conceive children to bear. Not only
that, but men can do this well into their 70s and 80s. Plus, it's
only been in this century that men do die before women. For
millennia, because of the hazards involved with bearing children, men
outlived women.
Of course, with the advent of ...