Are women at greater risk for decompression sickness (DCS) than men?

No, a woman who is healthy is not at a greater risk of getting decompression sickness than a man.  However, there are those who have suggested that the increase in subcutaneous fat (10% more) that is naturally present in women's bodies compared to the bodies of men, would increase a woman's risk of developing decompression sickness as fat holds 5 times more nitrogen than blood.  However, there has been no conclusive evidence that this is the case and the Divers Alert Network (DAN) has reported no increase in the numbers of women reporting decompression sickness or related injuries than men.