About 1 in 12 Men Have Color Vision Deficiency

Color blindness is more common than many people assume, at least among men. The U.S. National Eye Institute states that about 1 in 12 men have color vision deficiency, and that men have a much higher risk than women. The term color blindness is slightly misleading. According to the institute, having color vision deficiency means you see colors differently than most people, and most of the time it makes it hard to tell the difference between certain colors. The most common type makes it hard to tell red from green. Only in rare cases do people not see color at all. Most people who have the condition are born with it, because the most common types are genetic and passed down from parents. There is no cure, the institute says, but special glasses and contact lenses can help.