What a new global study on pain reveals about women’s experiences

pain killers and a woman in pain, expression of suffering. | Photo Credit: blueclue Women are more likely than men to report pain across every one of the 11 anatomical sites examined in a global study involving more than 6.1 million people across 118 countries. The study found that differences were particularly pronounced for facial pain, headaches and abdominal pain.Published in Nature Medicine, the study found that women had 83% higher relative prevalence of facial pain, 74% higher prevalence of headaches and 60% higher prevalence of stomach or abdominal pain than men. Women were also more likely to report high-intensity and widespread pain, highlighting a disparity that extends beyond the occurrence of pain to its severity and distribution. Published - November 02, 2026 03:31 pm IST