Gender differences in pain

Apparent gender differences have been identified in epidemiologic surveys of patients with pain and in clinical studies of responses to pain. Women are reported to have lower pain thresholds and lower pain tolerance than men have. Whether women are more willing to report pain than men are or experience pain differently than men do is unclear. However, beliefs about gender differences and pain affect nurses' decisions made regarding the treatment of pain. This article reviews the literature addressing pain in women and suggests how clinical practice is affected. Literature from Medline (1966 to 1994), CINAHL (1983 to 1994), and Psych-Lit (1967 to 1994) data bases was searched using the key words pain, gender, and sex. Comments in the manuscript reflect only those studies addressing epidemiology, experimentally-induced pain, or pain in the clinical setting. Studies describing gender differences in an animal model were not included. Limitations of space required that representative examples of studies in the major areas be included; others describing similar design and outcome were not included.