Men and women exhibit differences in the epidemiology and natural history of certain diseases, including chronic pain-related pathologies.

These genotypic and phenotypic differences in pain between the sexes are multifactorial and can be caused by anatomical, physiological, neural, hormonal, psychological, social, and cultural factors.

Some forms of chronic pain seen more frequently in women than men include migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and bladder pain syndrome.

To date, no pharmacological options for the management of chronic pain have been specifically developed for women, and the treatment of chronic pain is largely managed using drugs that were initially developed for other diseases and have limited effectiveness and problematic tolerability.