Abstract: Objective To understand the gender characteristic of notified TB cases in five provinces of China in order to promote accessibility and equity of health care service.  Method Using the descriptive and comparable approach, to analyze the difference of age, occupation, treatment outcome and the delay of diagnosis with different gender TB patients.  Results The sex ratio of TB patients in the east, the south and the middle is higher than the west and north. The average age is lower in the female than the male in most of provinces. Proportion of Non-farmer female is high, and there is no difference in treatment outcome between genders. The diagnosis delay was not different between genders, but was significantly different among five provinces with the lowest in Zhejiang and the longest in Heilongjiang. Gender, age and occupation is the risk factors affecting the diagnosis delay.  Conclusion s The age and occupation difference exists in the different gender TB patients, but difference is not significant in the treatment outcome and the delay of diagnosis.Elderly female patients and female rural farmers have poor accessibility to TB services.

Key words: tuberculosis,pulmonary, sex factors