Female patients are consistently less likely to receive pain medication prescriptions compared to male patients with similar complaints, a new study reveals.The study, led by Professor Shoham Choshen-Hillel and Mika Guzikevits from the Hebrew University, has uncovered a concerning sex bias in pain management decisions at emergency rooms.
The research showed that female patients are prescribed fewer pain relief medications than male patients, even after considering variables such as pain levels, age, medical history, and complaint type.
This suggests a systemic issue where women’s pain is not taken as seriously or treated as aggressively as men’s pain.
By analysing electronic health records from American and Israeli healthcare systems, the researchers found that female patients discharged from the emergency department are less likely to receive treatment for pain complaints compared to male patients.