Do Women Really Suffer More Pain Than Men? Here’s What the Science Says.
· Vice
According to an extensive study published in Nature Medicine, being a woman is painful. Or rather, women experience more pain throughout their entire bodies than men. (That conclusion had previously been reached by the Stanford University School of Medicine, which wasn’t quite sure whether my fellow ladies were actually feeling more pain or just reporting it.)
Nature Medicine penned:
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“In this study, we harmonized individual-level self-reported pain data from 6,125,459 participants across 902 population-based data sources in 118 countries to establish global reference trajectories of pain. […] Pain prevalence ranged from roughly 2% for facial pain to 40% for back pain, was consistently higher in women across all 11 anatomical sites (risk ratio range: 1.08−1.83) and increased most steeply before age 55 years.”
Participants included in the study ranged from 5 years of age to 100. Unsurprisingly, Nature Medicine found that a fair amount of global pain prevalent in men and women can be attributed to smoking, obesity, and low-income status.
Author Matt Fillingim, a researcher at Montreal’s McGill University, while stating that the exact reasons for higher levels of pain among women are still unclear, offered his explanation to Medical News Today:
“The difference probably reflects a combination of biological and social factors, including sex hormones, immune function, nervous-system pain processing, stress, reproductive burdens, occupational exposures, healthcare use, and differences in how symptoms are reported.”
A Study of 6 Million People Found a Pain Gap Researchers Still Can’t Fully Explain
While some research has suggested that women have lower pain thresholds than men, it is, of course, always extremely important that women listen to the warnings that their bodies are giving them and be assertive. Not only are women less likely to be prescribed pain medication, but they are also more likely to become victims of medical gaslighting. Not all medical professionals approach women’s health with the care and understanding it deserves.
Here is one of the endless proofs: According to Yale Medicine Magazine, “On average, it takes women 10 years to receive an accurate diagnosis of endometriosis, and many see at least four or five doctors before their pain is taken seriously.” Treatment for women’s health conditions can also come with a set of unique risks.
In closing, always remember to be your own advocate, ladies.
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