Can Women Be Color Blind?

Color blindness is common in the male sex, but does that mean only men experience it? Can women be color blind?

Color blindness is often linked to certain genes. Whether a person is color blind has to do with how the condition is inherited. While most cases of color vision deficiency are the result of genetics, there are also non-genetic causes of color blindness.

This article will go over why color blindness happens. You'll also learn why males and females can be color blind.

Color Blindness Genes

The genes involved in color blindness are:

• OPN1LW
• OPN1MW
• OPN1SW

All three of these genes are essential for normal color vision. Mutations (genetic changes) involving these genes can contribute to color vision defects.

How Females Inherit Color Blindness

How you inherit color blindness depends on whether the genes responsible for it are on the sex chromosomes (X and Y) or the autosomes (non-sex linked chromosomes), and whether it is expressed as dominant or recessive.

Can Females Have X-Linked Recessive Forms of Color Blindness?

Red-green color blindness and blue cone monochromacy are inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern. The genes responsible for both of these conditions, OPN1LW, and OPN1MW, are located on the X chromosome. Because people who are genetically male have only a single X chromosome, having the mutation on their only X chromosome can cause the condition.

Women are less likely to get X-linked recessive forms of color blindness if they are biologically female. However, it is possible for a woman who is a genetic female to have X-linked recessive forms of color blindness.

For this to occur, they need to inherit two genes: one X-linked trait from their father and another X-linked trait from their carrier mother.

People who are genetically female have two X chromosomes. Having a normal gene on one X chromosome would override the recessive mutation on the other X chromosome. The mutation would need to be present on both X chromosomes to result in the condition. This has a low likelihood of occurring.

Fathers can’t pass down X-linked recessive traits to their sons because their genetic contribution to a male offspring is a Y chromosome, not an X. However, they can pass these traits on to their daughters, to whom they contribute an X chromosome.

Can Females Have Autosomal Dominant Color Blindness?

A woman can have autosomal dominant color blindness if they inherit the gene from either parent.

Blue-yellow color blindness is passed on via an autosomal dominance pattern that is not sex-linked. It can be passed to an offspring by either genetic parent. A single copy of the genetic change (in this case, OPN1SW) is enough to cause the disorder.

In the case of blue-yellow color vision, people have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the condition from a parent who has it. It can also happen due to a new gene mutation.

Can Females Have Autosomal Recessive Color Blindness?

Achromatopsia is a severe form of color blindness. It is rare in any person, regardless of their genetic sex. Only 1 in 30,000 people worldwide have this condition.

People with achromatopsia can’t see any colors. Those with this condition only see black, white, and shades of grey in between. Unlike other forms of color vision deficiency, it can also cause vision issues such as light sensitivity, limited visual acuity, farsightedness, and nearsightedness.

A woman can have achromatopsia because it is inherited via an autosomal recessive pattern. That means both parents have to have the recessive gene to pass it down. However, in some cases of achromatopsia, the cause is unknown.

Other Causes of Color Blindness in Women

Color vision deficiency that is not caused by genes is called an acquired vision deficiency. It can happen to a person of any sex.

Potential non-genetic causes of color blindness include:

• Certain drugs 
• Chemical exposure 
• Eye disorders  
• Damage to the optic nerve
• Damage to areas of the brain that are responsible for visual processing 

Color vision can also diminish as you get older, regardless of your sex. In cases of non-genetic color blindness, your eyes might be affected differently.

Diseases that can cause color blindness include:

• Diabetes
• Glaucoma
• Leukemia
• Liver disease
• Alcoholism
• Parkinson's 
• Sick cell anemia
• Macular degeneration

Medications that can cause color vision deficiency include:

• Hydroxychloroquine 
• Certain antipsychotics 
• Ethambutol, an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis

Summary

Color blindness is more common in people who are genetically male because of how the condition is inherited. Women can also be color blind, but it's less common. A woman who is genetically female can inherit different combinations of genes linked to color blindness. Women can also be color blind because of non-genetic causes and have age-related changes to their color vision.

A Word From Verywell

While it's more common for men to be color blind, women can be color blind too. It's important for people of any sex to understand how color blindness is passed down and what it means to have these conditions.

For a lot of people, color blindness is not a serious condition and doesn’t cause any harmful side effects. However, a diminished ability to detect colors can make it difficult to recognize things like traffic lights—so you would need to learn how to stay safe.

If a person loses their color vision later in life, they could have an underlying condition causing the problem.

There’s no cure for color blindness, but there are ways to adjust and live with a color vision deficiency. It’s essential to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist or an optometrist if you notice any changes in your vision.