I've been told by several highly educated folks that women tend not to do as well as men in math. However, it is suggested that men tend not to do as well as women in language. There's been a wide variety of studies on the difference between the two genders and their propensity towards language vs. math.
http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1261

However, that's no excuse. Math is a unique subject in that some people just really "get it" whereas others need an alternate way of looking at it.

I'm one of the latter. I take *forever* to understand a mathematical concept and apply it accordingly. My best advice to you is to get tutoring from *your teacher*. Nobody knows the curriculum better than your teacher, and s/he is an invaluable resource. FWIW, although I have my own hardships, I'm currently in AP Calculus, so I definitely know what you're going through