Women and pain.

The findings from research studies done to date on gender differences in responses to painful stimuli and analgesic medications suggest that men and women do respond differently to both pain and pain medication. Clinicians need to be mindful of these gender differences as they plan the care of a man or woman who is experiencing pain. Pain assessments and management strategies must be focused on the individual experiencing the pain. However, determining the mechanisms underlying the gender differences found in the studies summarized in this paper may provide insight into the use of different assessment tools and pain management strategies for men and women.