Sex differences in the prevalence of painful conditions appear after puberty
Variation in symptom severity across the menstrual cycle occurs in a number of clinical pain conditions
Sex steroid hormones act at a number of sites in both the peripheral and central nervous systems and in both reproductive and non-reproductive tissues
Sex steroid hormones have traditionally been thought to alter transcription; however, there is evidence that there are also non-genomic effects
Sex steroid hormones can have organisational effects from as early as in utero
The relationship between sex hormones and pain is complex
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