Gender and pain

Abstract

Epidemiological, psychophysical and prevalence studies reveal that women have greater and more variable pain than men. Gender differences in pain are brought by genetic, physiological, anatomical, neural, hormonal, lifestyle and cultural factors. While women are more vulnerable to pain than men, they have more ways to deal with it. The clinical applicability of findings from the studies on gender differences in pain may lead to improve not only diagnosis but also treatment with various drugs and techniques.