The period when women's life expectancy began rising in the early 20th century is primarily associated with which factor?

• A. Increasing voting rights for women
• B. Findings from health studies on women's well-being
• C. Medical advances reducing deaths from pregnancy, childbirth, and infectious diseases
• D. Improved nutrition

Answer: (C)

The period’s rise in women’s life expectancy mainly comes from medical advances that reduced deaths from both pregnancy and childbirth and infectious diseases. Improved obstetric care—safer hospital births, better anesthesia and hygiene, and more effective prenatal monitoring—significantly lowered maternal mortality, so more women survived pregnancies and deliveries. At the same time, public health gains and medical progress reduced deaths from common infections, which previously took a heavy toll on women and infants. While increased nutrition and social changes like expanded voting rights matter for overall health, they did not have the same immediate, direct impact on mortality from these major causes as the advances in medical care and infection control did.