The gender pain gap in Australia is stark, with new research showing over half (55 per cent) of women feel that they have had their pain ignored or dismissed. Almost a third of these women said they believed this was because their doctor didn’t take their pain seriously.
The data is laid out in Nurofen’s Gender Pain Gap Index Report, which highlights findings from a survey of 2,040 Australian adults. It provides a suite of evidence on the extend of the gap between Australian women’s and men’s experiences and treatment of pain, as well as outlines the impact this gap is having on women’s lives.
With pain gap research being highlighted on a national level, Sarah White, the CEO of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, says she’s “hopeful that a wider awareness and understanding will drive real change in how women’s pain is believed and treated”.
“It is simply unacceptable that when some women are in pain they are not provided the care they need when they need it,” White says, adding that “prompt action is needed to change this”.
More women than men surveyed also believed the reason they haven’t received a diagnosis yet for their pain, or are taking longer to receive a diagnosis, is due to the gender pain gap (44 per cent of women compared to 24 per cent of men).
“It’s been interesting to witness the perception the general public have for women when they talk about their pain versus when it’s men. It’s like there’s this perceived stoicism in men. If they say they’re in pain, it’s listened to. It definitely has not felt that way for me,” one woman named Shikha told Nurofen.
Another named Bettina says she feels that “if men experienced the hormonal changes that women go through during menstruation, perimenopause and menopause, there would have been more research into the effects already.”
“We’re only just starting to look into it for women now, and it feels very frustrating that it has taken so long for this to be recognised as a significant health issue,” she says.
Pointing to what’s driving the pain gap specifically, 49 per cent of survey respondents believe women aren’t always taken as seriously because they’re viewed as ‘emotional’ and 46 per cent of people think women are expected to naturally suffer pain, such as period pain or childbirth.
The gender pain gap is having great impacts on women’s daily lives as well, with 56 per cent of women reporting their pain has affected their mood in a negative way, compared with 42 per cent of men.
Thirty-two per cent of women say their pain stops them from working, versus 23 per cent of men. And 39 per cent of women say their pain impacts their social life, compared with 27 per cent of men.
Nevertheless, 57 per cent of women find it easy to explain this pain to healthcare providers, compared with 65 per cent of men. It’s unsurprising that twice the number of women have not attempted to receive a diagnosis for their pain (14 per cent of women vs 6 per cent of men).
Along with today’s release of the research, Nurofen has launched the ‘Pain Pass’, a free downloadable PDF tool designed to track their pain. This is meant to aid conversations between women and their healthcare professionals, and help to tackle unconscious bias.
In a series of donations, Nurofen is also donating $200,000 towards Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, and partnering with Priceline Pharmacy to donate 4 cents to Priceline’s Sister Hood Foundation– up to $40,000- on every Nurofen pack sold.
“Over the coming months and years, we will commit to addressing the gap, with the hope of seeing a marked change in society and within healthcare for all women,” says Nurofen’s report.
“We are dedicated to making this report an annual initiative so we can track progress, and we welcome others to join us on our journey of closing Australia’s Gender Pain Gap.”