For much too long, pain that’s unique to women and the severity of women’s sensitivity to pain has been ignored and even ridiculed. It’s unfortunate that women have had to wait for chilling statistics, like the fact that as much as 85% of fibromyalgia cases are diagnosed in women, to draw attention to the need to eliminate all forms of implicit bias in delivery quality healthcare for everyone.

Here are some facts about pain in women that can’t be ignored:

Fact 1: 1 in 10 American women suffers from gynecological pain. That can include menstrual cramps, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and interstitial cystitis. Those are just some conditions from long list that are specific to women and can be excruciatingly painful. Many are lifelong conditions that limit quality of life.

Fact 2: Women’s bodies are “wired” differently than men’s. Hormonal, neurological, skeleto-muscular structure and many other physical differences make pain detection and sensitivity fundamentally different, some might say more complex.

Fact 3: Doctors often dismiss pain in women as exaggerated or even non-existent. Patients are sometimes even referred for mental health counseling as a tactic for deflection. If you feel you're being dismissed, don't be afraid to be more demanding. Take a family member or advocate with you when visiting your doctors to help describe your pain. Stand your ground.

Face 4: Given the very real and physical differences between men and women and the manner in which their bodies detect and respond to pain, it stands to reason that treating pain in women requires approaches that respect those differences, and take into account the effect of some of today’s go-to drugs on women who are pregnant or breast feeding.

Unique pain conditions in women

These are just a few of the conditions unique to women that can result in chronic pain, sometimes severe. Because they’re fairly common – frequently diagnosed – many doctors assumed that the related pain must be ordinary and tolerable. Indeed, it’s true that many, many women simply endure the exhaustion, depression, anxiety and sleep disorders that come from living with unrelenting pain.

Endometriosis is a chronic medical condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. This tissue can grow on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the outer surface of the uterus, and other organs in the pelvic area. Pain, the most common symptom, is often severe and debilitating. It can occur during periods, ovulation, sex, urination, or bowel movements.

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths in the uterus. Larger fibroids or clusters of them can put pressure on the uterus and surrounding organs and tissue. The most common treatment is to do nothing, hoping that hormonal changes cause the growths to recede. There’s actually a medical term for it called “watchful waiting.”

Ovarian cysts are extremely common – and painful.  No less than 8% and as many as 18% of women will be diagnosed with ovarian cysts in their lifetime – most frequently during their reproductive or menopausal years when hormonal changes are the most dramatic.  The most common treatment is to do nothing, hoping that hormonal changes cause the growths to recede. Watchful waiting, again.

Pelvic congestion. Ovarian remnant syndrome. Chronic pain of the vulva and vaginal opening. Interstitial cystitis. Pelvic inflammatory disease.

Pain doesn’t have to be severe to be life altering

It’s not uncommon even for those suffering from chronic pain to believe that if it’s not severe, it should be bearable. Many people take over-the-counter medications, or just have low-activity days to help recover from the most common side effect: exhaustion. Indeed, chronic fatigue syndrome, also more frequently diagnosed in women, is often directly related to persistent chronic pain.

But over time, attempting to “power through” constant, even moderate pain takes a toll on immunity, cardiovascular health and, yes, mental health.

If you feel your pain isn’t being taken seriously, print a copy of this post and take it with you to see your gynecologist, pain professional or primary care physician. Tell them you want their help improving the quality of your life and peace of life.

If necessary, find another doctor. Your pain isn’t imaginary. You’re not hysterical. You're not weak. Above all, you are not alone.

Learn More:

Chronic genital pain sufferers are often gaslit by doctors — here’s why https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/26/health/women-chronic-pain-endometriosis-partner-wellness

Pain in Women https://www.iasp-pain.org/advocacy/global-year/pain-in-women/

Sex differences in pain: a brief review of clinical and experimental findings https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3690315/

Study shows first evidence of sex differences in how pain can be produced https://healthsciences.arizona.edu/news/releases/study-shows-first-evidence-sex-differences-how-pain-can-be-produced

Side Effects of Chronic Pain: The Unseen Impact on Your Daily Life https://southernpainclinic.com/blog/side-effects-of-chronic-pain-the-unseen-impact-on-your-daily-life/#:~:text=The%20physical%20side%20effects%20of,an%20ongoing%20state%20of%20anxiety.

Chronic fatigue in the general population: Prevalence, natural course and associations with chronic pain (the HUNT pain study) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38940382/#:~:text=Results:%20A%20five%2Dcluster%20solution,negative%20prognosis%20of%20chronic%20fatigue.