Do Men and Women Have Different Pain Tolerances

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Do Men and Women Have Different Pain Tolerances?

• Katie Payne
• Ecology
• Fall 2000

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Purpose

• To find out whether or not women and men have
  different tolerances for pain.

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Definition of Pain

• Pain is a warning mechanism that helps to protect
  an organism by encouraging it to pull away from
  something that is causing it harm.

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Pain

• Is subjective
• Is very difficult to measure

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Factors That Influence Pain Tolerance

• Cultural
• Genetic
• Psychological
• Stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Excitement

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Types of Pain

• Acute
• Chronic

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Pain Receptors

• Free end nerve fibers
• Receive three types of stimuli
• Mechanical
• Thermal
• Chemical

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When Does the Perception of Pain Occur?

• When your brain processes new sensory input and
  compares it with existing memories and emotions.

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Methods

• Observe patients on cardiovascular unit at
  Audubon Hospital in four hour shifts
• Equal number of males and females
• All patients had either heart surgery or heart
  catherization
• Measure number of times call lights are pressed
  to request pain medicines or complaints are made
  about being in pain.
• Compare number of complaints by males to those by
  females

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Results

• Women called out more often than men.

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Conclusion

• Data points to men having higher pain tolerance
• Many factors that could not be measured
• How their individual body responded to procedure
• What their body had been through previously
• Individual psychological state

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Conclusion Cont.

• Facts that may support my findings
• American culture and stereo types for men and
  women
• Women are more prone to depression
• Pain must be measured on an individual basis.
• Too many factors to consider