Do you agree that women have a higher pain tolerance than men?

Question

BobbieBoy666 · Accepted Answer

No, scientific evidence suggests that men, on average, have a higher pain threshold and tolerance compared to women, not the other way around.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Pain Threshold and Tolerance:
Studies consistently show that men tend to have a higher pain threshold (the point at which pain is first detected) and higher pain tolerance (the ability to endure pain) than women.
Women's Pain Sensitivity:
Conversely, women are often found to be more sensitive to pain, reporting higher pain intensity and lower thresholds and tolerance.
Hormonal Fluctuations:
Hormonal variations, particularly those related to the menstrual cycle and menopause, can influence pain perception in women, potentially contributing to greater pain sensitivity.
Sociocultural Factors:
It's important to note that societal expectations and gender roles can also play a role in how pain is perceived and reported, potentially leading to misinterpretations.
Research Findings:
Studies using various pain stimuli, including heat, cold, and pressure, have consistently demonstrated these sex differences in pain perception.
Examples of Pain Conditions:
Women are more likely to experience chronic pain conditions like headaches, musculoskeletal pain, abdominal pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and temporomandibular disorders.
Implications for Healthcare:
Understanding these sex differences in pain perception is crucial for healthcare providers to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective pain management for both men and women.
Undertreatment of Pain in Women:
The belief that women have higher pain tolerance can lead to undertreatment of pain in women, which can have serious consequences for their health and well-being.

TheRealPepperPotts · Accepted Answer

No. I think pain tolerance is a matter of life experiences and background. I also think some people are wired to handle pain better than others. There are plenty of women who don't handle the pain of childbirth well at all. That's an observation, not a criticism.

Some people also tolerate different kinds of pain better than other kinds of pain. I can handle pain fine in any part of my body except for my head; I'm a total baby when I have a migraine. Guys clearly can handle head pain fine (punches), but disintegrate when anything hits their privates with any force.

Childbirth is obviously intense, but women are also made for it. Fighting is intense, but men were made for it (many of them, anyway :) ).

TrueConfection · Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. I have a handful of kiddos the I gave birth to without pain meds. I can tell you that it was a 10 on the pain scale, but I’ve experienced other pain that was intolerable (way off the chart).

My husband works outside a lot and when I try to help him, I start falling apart while he just goes and goes. I don’t know how he endures what he does.

Blunky · Answer

I've seen a lot of people in pain throughout my career and I haven't really noticed any difference. Some people tolerate more pain for longer, others simply don't feel it as much or experience it differently. Some genetics come into play like redheads requiring more anesthetics because the very gene that makes their hair red / orange is also a part of pain perception. It has nothing to do with gender and experience in... experiencing pain plays a huge role in it. Like cancer patients. Their treatments are utterly brutal and wreak havoc on their bodies, yet they usually complain the least about the pain from my experiences with them.

Zack-Bann · Answer

People talk about pregnancy to defend this theory but the truth is it’s an untestable

Men can’t get pregnant
So we can never test for pain tolerance that way

What we do know is that men are physically stronger, faster, less impacted by G forces
So to assume that all this is true BUT they’re less tolerant to pain seems contradictory to me

I can’t disagree that women are more tolerant to pain because I can’t prove it.
But I also can’t agree it’s true

My best guess is pain tolerance is high or low irregardless of gender.

strateguy632 · Answer

So is that why the lady lasts longer in the boxing rink? She can take the pain? But she can't.

So a study was published in 2022 where men and women were told to yank their hand off the heater plate when it got too hot. It was controlled as the heat increased slowly.

Consistently lady jumped off at lower, less hot, temperatures than men. She can't bear pain...

which makes the horror of child birth even worse : women , who can't "walk it off" like we guys do , are the ones doing huge pain birth.

Makes me wonder why they have a second child, didn't you learn? So they say the second kid hurts less... but they still need epidurel on second.

JustinTheGreat · Answer

I’m pretty sure that’s a confirmed biological fact. Women give birth so they naturally have a higher pain tolerance.

Not only that but women are subjected to pain more often than men. With period cramps, waxing, wearing heels, etc. they’re used to pain.

Also women’s pain historically isn’t taken as seriously.
When women go to the doctor and describe their pain, a lot of the times they are dismissed and told they’re just being dramatic.
That’s why there’s so many stories of women getting sick and even dying because doctors didn’t take their concerns seriously.

So women are used to keeping quiet and just having to deal with it.

DrPepper12 · Answer

Without question all other things being equal. Some really great work being done in pain management till DOGE douched it. Pain is truly an individualized not a general phenomenon.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/i-do-not-feel-your-pain/

Modern studies confirm that ethnic differences may contribute to individual differences in pain. For example, Asian-Americans are more sensitive to heat pain than European Americans, African Americans, or Hispanics. In contrast, European Americans have higher cold pain tolerance.

oldpigg · Answer

No, it's the other way around.

FoxyFatale · Answer

Honestly, I definitely think women have a higher pain tolerance than men. I mean, we deal with so much—periods, childbirth, and everything in between. It’s pretty incredible how we power through it all. Plus, women tend to be better at pushing through pain and staying strong. Men might handle pain differently, but when it comes to enduring, I think women have got it covered!

Cormac995 · Answer

There have been multiple scientific studies done on it and all of them seem to say yes. I'm not sure but my guess is it's an evolutionary advantage woman developed to help survive childbirth. Enough pain can send you into shock and I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like to squeeze out a baby. "Shivers"

236color · Answer

That's a very subjective thing to judge. Generally I'm inclined to say yes, but how do you measure that? It's like the color green, I know what it looks like to me, but how do I know that grass doesn't appear what I call pink to you, but you were taught "That's green"?

NicholasRedone · Answer

@itsannalee I'd say potentially men have a higher pain tolerance "depending on" however women do seem to "want" to experience "erotic pain more than a straight man ever would or should" - yes I'm taking butt-smacks and butt-grabs ✋🏻✋🏻 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 👀👀 and women blushes 😬😳😳😬

jshm2 · Answer

LOL, no.

But not all pain is the same. I have no problems handling toothache, ear ache, headache or broken bones. But burns make me snarl like a wild animal.

Wifey on the other hand can't handle any pain... but has no problems with burns.

Bricealan · Answer

@itsannalee I have always thought that, as women undergo terrible pain in Child berth, BUT I wish they did not have to suffer that way.

My brother, who recently died of Cancer, had the highest tolerance for pain of anybody I ever knew, bar none. I tried my best to help him through his horrible ordeal and will always remember what a STOIC man her was. I respect what you have stated and I feel by and large, women do tolerate pain more than most men.

FemPuppy · Answer

Oh I don't know. I have higher pain tolerance than my boyfriend but he is super sensitive not just to pain but other stuff too so I think he's just sensitive. My dad is so tolerant of pain I have seen him get a bloody injury and keep working on what he was doing.

backdoorman · Answer

No, but it's an enduring myth that is easy to perpetuate because of the childbirth narrative.

purplepoppy · Answer

No we just don't whine about it so much or expect a fucking lollypop for being a big boy.

Aiko_E_Lara · Answer

It depends on the person because we never tried being inside someone else's bodies. The argument "girls because they give birth and they have periods" is irrelevant here because nobody can exactly confirm by trying out each other's bodies. But we can try pain both can experience like getting a cut from a blade or getting punched. A lot of times, girls tend to be more expressive about it.

unknowngurll1212 · Answer

There’s definitely some truth to that! Studies show women handle chronic pain better, and, of course, childbirth is no joke. But pain tolerance also depends on the type of pain and the person—everyone’s wired differently...

Hobobobo · Answer

I think it would be better to get actual medical research about this kind of thing instead of a bunch of uneducated opinions and troll posts. You can find this information from legitimate sources online with a Google search.

Mark1o2 · Answer

The question is not on sexes but on individual. Some woman who is born in war-stuck place like Somalia will have higher pain tolerence than woman who is born in high class society of developed country. When you had faced near death circumstances from birth years than you have higher pain tolerence than someone who had bestest medical facility

OneViewpoint · Answer

No, women have a much lower pain tolerance than men. Lower risk tolerance. Lower tolerance for difficult living conditions. However child birth is their one monumental super power. That is amazing.

Falcon265 · Answer

Well I don’t have any scientific evidence to prove or disprove the question but women are the ones that birth the next generation and for the most part they don’t complain about it

that takes a form of strength I probably will never have so I can believe that

NathanDavis · Answer

giving birth is a mentioned a lot... but tolerance is also about endurance... and 9 months of pregnancy are not an easy ride... lmao

standardguy · Answer

Yes of course. Women have to stand child birth. They should dare to let it happen again. Men get into their balls if they don't behave well. The should not dare to do it again.

IslaTheWitch · Answer

I just would like to see a man dealing with period cramps... or childbirth... :D

7Phoenix7 · Answer

I definitely have a high pain tolerance. But I can't say that it's because I'm a woman. I know a lot of women who can't handle small amounts of pain lol

Shiprex · Answer

NO I disagree because it's wrong. Science has shown women experience stress more easily, more deeply and for longer than men.  Myth spreading is not for GaG

Summeroflove · Answer

What I’ve heard is women have more sensitivity to pain but also have a higher tolerance then men do for pain. So it sort of balances it out

SteveSmith1985 · Answer

Probably. I can see that being the case. Head-to-head Torture-Trial-Extravaganza? Anyone?

TatesGirl62 · Answer

Yes because we can bare children. I've had men pass out just from me drawing their blood and a finger stick 😆

glennos89 · Answer

Emotionally they do I believe. Physically definitly not

OCD123 · Answer

I seen my wife give birth and she was calmer than me the whole time. i don't know how you ladies do that.

Sunrising · Answer

I disagree, you never hear of males complaining about pain, unless it's very serious!

David318578 · Answer

No men do, except for child birth, something kicks in within a woman's brain to make them OP for pain tolerance during child birth.

Cubus · Answer

Women do have a higher pain tolerance than men. It's a natural adjustment in order to give birth, which is painful.

David_beckham · Answer

I do believe that women's tolerance is higher than men's as they feel pain every month, but I also think that men's pain tolerance is also not that less.

ProbablyClueless · Answer

I thought science had proven this to be true?

exitseven · Answer

Yes, this is done by design so they can endure the pain of bearing live children.

Yellovv · Answer

Yes they do, reason is guys have more muscle than girls so guys feeling more pain than girls, also same reason why girls feeling more cold on their feet compared to guys, without muscle girls feeling more colder...

altaboy · Answer

I think it depends upon the person. People in general are capable of surviving incredible things. Also, pain is very difficult to quantify.

Jay-_- · Answer

I don't agree, unless we talk about pregnancy, that's a whole different story besides that no, I think men can intake more pain but it all depends.

bowenw · Answer

They seem to and deal with more painful things.

KostasKouvalis · Answer

100%. There have been studies done to prove this

Shy_Steve · Answer

I actually think they do, But that's because they are less likely to get injured than most Men.

kaucky1 · Answer

Women put up with pain get terrorized by others wasted when they look like me then themselves some notice difference some not this not even right

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

H**L to the YES !!! I couldn't imagine having a baby, which women do seemingly without much effort, though there is maternal mortality.

Staximus · Answer

Pain tolerance is on a person to person basis but women generally have a higher one

Manuelwe · Answer

You must as you give birth to babies except transgenders

OddBeMe · Answer

Not sure an accredited scientist would ever try this experiment.

Smile456 · Answer

Yeah, I can't handle certain things that women seem to

TallAnon · Answer

Definitely different, I'm not sure if pain is 1 dimensional

MemeSupreme · Answer

well yeah lol it's just biologically true

rebeliouse · Answer

is that why they like to get spanked? @itsannalee

ChicoFromThe305 · Answer

They gotta, cause of the birth pains and stuff lol

chrisggg977 · Answer

Yes for sure. If men had to give birth we wouldn't have any babies.

LuxyB · Answer

Communications try to get 50-50 and the best way used paper and pan

rebelkid · Answer

Absolutely 1 trillion percent women has a much higher tolerance than us men.

MrShaun · Answer

definitely not! With the amount of times my wife slaps me upside the head...

LiamJHayden · Answer

In general, yes.

Gwendoline · Answer

Having given birth, yes.

PaleDale · Answer

Yes, men cannot handle pain at all, women hold up

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