Study: Women's Hands Have More Bacteria Than Men's

Posted on November 6, 2008

The BBC reports that a new study has found that women harbour more types of bacteria on their hands than men

Women have a greater range of different types of bacteria on the palms of their hands than men, US research suggests.
The study also found that human hands harbour far higher numbers of bacteria species than previously thought.
Using powerful gene sequencing techniques, researchers found a typical hand had roughly 150 different species of bacteria living on it.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study found bacteria types varied greatly between individuals.

The article says the research may eventually help scientists determine which bacteria species are linked to different diseases. One theory as to why women may carry more types of bacteria is that men tend to have more acidic skin.

Here's a video about the study from CU-Boulder, where the research was conducted.

HEALTH
BACTERIA