Gender differences in pain sensitivity and responses to analgesia.

Variations in pain sensitivity between men and women have been reported in numerous studies. Women have more severe and longer lasting pain than men. The goal of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge with respect to the sexual dimorphism of surgical pain and its management. This assessment excludes gender-specific pain conditions that are exclusively found in women (e.g., labor pain and surgical pain related to gynecologic procedures), focusing instead on those pain conditions that are common to men and women.