International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Declares the Global Year Against Pain in Women

International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Declares the Global Year Against Pain in Women

October 15, 2007

'Real Women, Real Pain' Campaign Highlights the Suffering
Caused by Disparities in Pain Recognition and Treatment in
Women Around the World


    SEATTLE, Wash., Oct. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Today,
the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
has declared 2008 the Global Year Against Pain in Women to
draw attention to the significant impact of chronic pain on
women and the need for more effective care.  Lack of
awareness of pain issues affecting women and gender
disparities in treatment and research contribute to the
suffering of millions of women.

    "Chronic pain affects a higher proportion of women
than men, but unfortunately they are also less likely to
receive treatment compared to men due to various cultural,
economic and political barriers," said Troels S.
Jensen, MD, President of IASP, Professor of Experimental
and Clinical Pain Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus,
Denmark.  "IASP hopes to provide a voice to these
women by drawing attention to this global issue as a first
step towards reducing pain and suffering of women around
the world."

    Real Women, Real Pain 

    Research has shown that women generally experience more
recurrent pain, more severe pain and longer lasting pain
than men.  Chronic pain conditions which affect women more
than men include fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, chronic pelvic
pain, temporomandibular joint disorder (i.e., TMJ) and
migraine headache.

    Women appear to experience pain differently than men,
although the reason is not entirely understood.  It is
believed that this difference is due to numerous biological
reasons including genetic, hormonal and pharmacological
factors/influences.  In addition, psychosocial and cultural
disease factors/influences play an important role in how
women experience pain.

    Taking Action 

    Over the next year, the 'Real Women, Real Pain'
campaign will educate the public, healthcare providers and
government leaders/agencies about the lack of diagnosis and
adequate treatment of chronic pain in women.  This will help
to: 

    -- Increase awareness of pain conditions predominantly
affecting
       women and help women and healthcare providers
recognize signs
       and symptoms 
    -- Raise awareness of disparities between female/male
pain issues
    -- Empower women to become advocates for themselves and
others, by
       encouraging them to affirm their pain is real and
seek proper
       treatment
    -- Increase female-specific research 
    -- Encourage the development of new female-specific
treatment
       options

    To further these objectives, IASP will initiate a
number of national and local activities in conjunction with
their 69 local chapters worldwide.  A special issue of the
IASP journal Pain will be dedicated to pain in women in
November 2007.  The IASP website will also feature campaign
information including local IASP chapter initiatives.

    Gender Inequalities in Health Care
 
    Certain pain conditions commonly affecting women often
do not receive adequate attention as historically medical
research has heavily relied on male populations and
conditions affecting them.  The result of this male-centric
research approach is that women continue to be treated based
on studies in which they may not have been adequately
represented.

    Access to healthcare services, particularly in poverty
stricken areas of the developing world, can act as a
barrier for women seeking help for pain conditions.

    Cultural factors also influence a woman's likelihood of
seeking treatment for medical conditions, including pain. 
For example, in many cultures, women believe that their
suffering is part of their role in society.  Additionally
treatment by a male healthcare provider may also bring
shame to a woman's family, forcing her to go without
treatment.  Women may also encounter situations where
physicians do not believe their pain is real.

    "In order to promote change around the world, we
need to raise awareness of pain disorders predominantly
affecting women, increase research into these conditions
and effective treatment options, as well as improve access
to needed therapies," said Beverly Collett, MBBS,
FRCA, IASP Council member and Consultant in Pain Medicine
at Leicester Royal Infirmary, UK.

    IASP would like to recognize Pfizer Inc as a sponsor of
the Global Year Against Pain in Women and thank them for
supporting efforts to promote education on this important
issue.

    For more information on The Global Year Against Pain
and Women, upcoming initiatives around the world, please
visit www.iasp-pain.org.

    About IASP

    The International Association for the Study of Pain(R)
(IASP) is the leading professional forum for science,
practice, and education in the field of pain.  IASP has
more than 6,900 members in 106 countries, 69 national
Chapters, and 14 Special Interest Groups (SIGs). IASP was
founded in 1973 and is governed by an international
Council, made up of Officers and Councilors elected by the
members of the association.

    IASP sponsors research symposia on specific
pain-related topics and provides grants, awards and
fellowships to support international pain research. 
Through its Developing Countries Project, IASP offers
grants to improve pain education for clinicians in
developing countries.  Each year IASP launches the Global
Day and Global Year Against Pain to raise awareness of
different aspects of pain.  The headquarters office of IASP
is in Seattle, Washington, USA.


    For more information, please contact:

     Sejal Sedani
     Resolute Communications
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]