Our expert answers questions about the causes, treatment, and prevention of gastrointestinal disorders. Are gastrointestinal or GI conditions different for men and women? There are definitely some differences, and part of the reason is probably related to basic physiology. One of the most common GI conditions is irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. So it looks to the doctor that women have more IBS, but that may not be the case. Beyond that, there is likely some difference due to the way the muscles work in men and women. If the muscles are moving really quickly in people with IBS, they get diarrhea. Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is fairly common in both men and women.