SEE THE FACTS
UNDERSTANDING THE PAIN GAP
The Gender Pain Gap refers to the phenomenon in which pain in women is more poorly understood and more mistreated compared to pain in men due to systemic gaps and biases.
KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH GAPS
As the UK Government stated in its recent Women’s Health Strategy, a ‘male as default’ approach exists in research and clinical trials, which means less is known about pain conditions that predominantly affect women or about how conditions affect men and women differently.
LONG-TERM IMPACT
Living with pain without seeking proper medical attention has an impact on women’s lives. This impact is felt in many ways, with 41% reporting that it causes them trouble sleeping and 39% saying that it leaves them less able to exercise. Most worryingly, almost a quarter of women report that pain has led them to feeling depressed compared to less than a fifth of men.
REAL WOMEN’S STORIES
Having your pain dismissed and ignored can lead to emotional and physical turmoil. Read our case studies that show the experiences of real women.
Katie, 53
"I’ve had various health issues, gynae and non-gynae related, throughout my life. Like many women, always suffered from fairly painful periods and I had a miscarriage at 26 which started as spotting but then I was in pain…"
READ KATIE`S STORY
Tonia, 34
"I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia four years ago, having already experienced debilitating pain for over five years prior. I only got a diagnosis by paying to see a consultant privately, and because my dad is a physician who was able to help me identify what was going on..."
READ TONIA`S STORY
READ OUR PAIN GAP INDEX REPORT
We’ve commissioned an annual report to make women’s pain visible. We will track the Gender Pain Gap over time and share our learnings with the whole industry.
SEE OUR COMMITMENTS
At Nurofen we pledge to make a difference, to do all we can to help make women's pain visible.
1. VISIBLE IN RESEARCH
We’re putting women’s voices and priorities at the heart of our research. We are pioneering gender-balanced clinical trials across 100% of our products and will commission new research to better understand pain women.
2. VISIBLE IN HEALTHCARE
We are investing in healthcare professional training to help doctors and pharmacists identify and overcome gender bias and better treat women’s pain.
3. VISIBLE IN PRODUCT
We are overhauling our innovation pipeline to ensure our products truly addressing pain in women.
4. VISIBLE OVER TIME
We will use our annual Pain Gap Index Report to track and measure the issue and report progress. We will share our learnings with the government and the healthcare industry so we can all get better at treating women’s pain together.
All information presented on these web pages is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. In all health matters for further information or medical advice, please speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Real women story images are not real representations of the women from case studies.
References
1. GPG Index Survey References Document (26.08.2022 16.00GMT)
2. Hoffmann, Diane E. and Tarzian, Anita J., “The Girl Who Cried Pain: A Bias Against Women in the Treatment of Pain” (2001). Faculty Scholarship. 145.
https://digitalscommons.law. umaryland.edu/fac_pubs/145
3. GPG Index Survey References Document (26.08.2022 16.00GMT)