Mankind
Quarterly, Vol. 44, Nos. 3 & 4 (Spring-Summer 2004)
pp. 275-289
Sex Differences
in Pain Perception: A Biological Perspective.
Aldric Hama
The sense of pain is important in
conveying information about the external environment
and internal bodily function. Clinical and experimental
data clearly demonstrates sex-based differences in
behaviors, including the perception of pain. The source
of these differences is likely intrinsically mediated,
such as differences in brain structure and function
related to gonadal hormones. Although it is possible
that social-cultural influences may also impact sex
differences in pain perception, the preclinical experimental
data suggests that much of the differences are due
to biology rather than environment.
