In many ways, epilepsy is a different disease in a woman than in a man. The differences arise because of biological differences between women and men, but also because of the different social roles they play. As a result of these biological and social differences, women with epilepsy face special challenges, especially in the area of reproductive health (Table 1.1).

The experiential differences between women and men with epilepsy became clear to me in the very earliest years of my career as a neurologist specializing in the treatment of epilepsy. My background had been in studying the effects of male and female sex hormones on certain types of behavior, so I was well aware of the significant effects these hormones could have on many brain centers. Therefore, I was not at all surprised when women with epilepsy explained to me that their seizures appeared to vary with their menstrual cycles.