There is good evidence that men and women differ with respect to the perception and experience of pain.
Women on average report more pain when compared to men, and there seem to be more painful conditions where women exhibit a greater prevalence than where men do.
Sex differences in pain vary according to age, with many differences occurring during the reproductive years.
The sex of an individual is still not routinely investigated in many studies.
There are a range of mechanisms that may be involved in explaining these sex differences, from sex hormones to health seeking behaviours.
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