Women's Hands 'Harbour More Bugs'

Women have a greater range of different types of bacteria on the palms of their hands than men, research from the National Academy of Sciences 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, with a greater diversity found on the hands of women. On average, women had 50% more bacterial species on their hands than men.