New research from Nurofen reveals a national Gender Pain Gap in Australia – with 55% of women feeling they have had their pain ignored or dismissed compared to just 48% of men1 Significantly more women than men think the reason they haven’t received a diagnosis for their pain or is taking longer to receive one is due to the Gender Pain Gap (44% of women vs 24% of men)2 Nurofen announces its commitments to help close the Gender Pain Gap, including a new Pain Pass tool to help people track and articulate their pain
SYDNEY, Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Nurofen launches its national Gender Pain Gap Index Report, revealing the extent of the gender pain bias women in Australia experience every day and the impact it has on their lives.
The report, highlighting findings from Nurofen’s survey among 2,040 Australian adults, reveals a national Gender Pain Gap – where over half (55%) of women surveyed feel that they have had their pain ignored or dismissed compared to just 48% of men.3
What’s more, almost a third of women (32%) who felt their pain was ignored or dismissed believe this was because their GP didn’t take their pain seriously, compared to just one fifth of men (20%).4
Significantly more women than men surveyed also think the reason they haven’t received a diagnosis yet for their pain or is taking longer to receive a diagnosis is due to the Gender Pain Gap (44% of women vs 24% of men).5
According to the Australian adults surveyed who believe the gap exists, the top factors contributing to the gap include: women are not always taken as seriously because they’re viewed as ’emotional’ (49%) and women are expected to naturally suffer pain, for instance period pain or childbirth (46%).6
IMPACT OF PAIN ON DAILY LIFE
Crucially, the research shows pain is having a greater impact on many aspects of daily life for women compared to men – for example, for those who experience pain, 56% of women report it has affected their mood in a negative way, compared with 42% of men; 32% of women say their pain stops them from working, versus 23% of men; and 39% of women state that their pain impacts their social life compared with 27% of men.7
BARRIERS TO WOMEN TALKING ABOUT PAIN
Only 57% of women find it easy to explain the pain they experience to their healthcare provider, compared with 65% of men.8 It is therefore unsurprising that of those who experience pain, twice the number of women than men have not tried to seek a diagnosis for the pain they experience (14% of women vs 6% of men).9
Sarah White, PhD, CEO of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, says: "Shining a light on the Gender Pain Gap is crucial to closing it. Research shows it’s taking women longer to get a diagnosis and treatment for their pain which is adversely impacting their lives.10 It is simply unacceptable that when some women are in pain they are not being provided the care they need when they need it, and prompt action is needed to change this. Now the issue has been highlighted on a national level, I am hopeful that a wider awareness and understanding will drive real change in how women’s pain is believed and treated."
DRIVING CHANGE
With Nurofen releasing its Gender Pain Gap Index for the first time, the brand is announcing its initial suite of commitments to help close the gap – including the launch of the ‘Pain Pass’. The Pain Pass is a free downloadable PDF tool designed to help people track and articulate their pain and symptoms, aiding more constructive conversations with their healthcare professional, and helping to tackle unconscious bias.
Nurofen Australia has also committed to:
Ensuring gender balance in the design, conduct and analysis of clinical research, including, studying, and understanding women in its research. Always considering gender when interpreting findings, publishing the results where appropriate to improve pain management and research. Gender representation in the last 30 years of Nurofen clinical research has been very encouraging, with 53% female and 47% male subjects being enrolled in 50 studies.11 Commissioning its Gender Pain Gap Index Report regularly to track progress on closing the gap over time. With over 90% of Australian HCPs willing to receive training aimed at reducing or removing biases in the treatment of patients with pain12, Nurofen will be hosting pharmacist education programs in 2024 for leading pharmacy retailers including Priceline – with the aim of achieving over 9,000 completions by the end of the year. Nurofen is donating $200,000 towards Jean Hailes For Women’s Health, a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving women’s health across Australia through every life stage.13 The brand is also partnering with Priceline Pharmacy, where for every Nurofen pack sold, Nurofen will donate 4 cents to Priceline’s Sister Hood Foundation – up to a total of $40,00014.
Montse Pena, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Safety at Reckitt ANZ said: "I am very proud to be introducing the Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report and to be putting tangible measures in place such as the PAIN PASS to help close the Gap. We are committed to delivering real changes that will help to improve women’s experience and treatment of pain, and welcome other organisations to join us in our mission."
To view the full Index report, download the PAIN PASS and find out how Nurofen is delivering on its commitments, visit www.nurofen.com.au/see-my-pain.
-ENDS-
For further information or to request an interview with a spokesperson or a female case study with experience of pain dismissal, contact ellen.budgell-price@webershandwick.com.au.
NOTES TO EDITOR:
Nurofen is the manufacturer of Nurofen® 200mg tablets. Always read the label and follow directions for use. Incorrect use could be harmful. For short term, mild to moderate pain and inflammation relief Unless otherwise stated, all statistics quoted are from Nurofen’s 2024 Gender Pain Gap report (Australia) conducted by One Poll in 2023. The survey included 2,040 Australian adults across demographically diverse backgrounds. 51% of respondents were women and 49% were men. All pain types surveyed across both male and female respondents include back pain(s), joint pain(s), headaches, arthritis pain(s), migraines, period pain(s), abdominal or stomach pain, strains and sprains, dental pain, sinus pain, pain related to cold & flu symptoms (e.g sore throat and body aches), menopause related pain (I.e muscle aches, joint pains, headaches), autoimmune (I.e Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus), fibromyalgia, and endometriosis The donation towards Jean Hailes for Women’s Health will help enable the charity to identify gaps in consumer health knowledge and seed a new programme that develops and disseminates practical, evidence-based health information to help women understand and manage pain. The donations to Priceline Pharmacy will go to Priceline’s Sisterhood Foundation, which works to provide support to women and their families through its charity partners.
Additional statistics:
According to the Australian adults surveyed who believe the gap exists, additional factors contributing to the gap include: women experience very different hormones to men (39%); men and women have different pain thresholds (38%); and women’s pain is seen to be psychological (36%).15 When speaking to healthcare professionals, nearly 73% of Australian GPs and pharmacists that gender bias would likely affect female pain sufferers by worsening their mental health.16
[1] Reference 1, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[2] Reference 2, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[3] Reference 1, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[4] Reference 22, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[5] Reference 2, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[6] Reference 43, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[7] Reference 11, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[8] Reference 27, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[9] Reference 5, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[10] Reference 4, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[11] Reckitt data on file – Gender bias in clinical trials, Nurofen data and brief scientific context. Medical sciences report, 2022
[12] Gender Bias among Healthcare Professionals, Research, Toluna Research for Reckitt, December 2023
[13] 4c from every pack of Nurofen for Adult (excludes other Nurofen products) sold in major retailers & pharmacies between 1 July to 31 Oct, up to $200,000 to support the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women in the development and dissemination of consumer health information to help women understand and manage acute pain.
[14]50c from every pack of Nurofen for Adult (excludes other Nurofen products) sold in Priceline between 1 April to 30 June, up to $40,000
[15] Reference 43, Nurofen Gender Pain Gap Index Report 2024 (Reckitt Sponsored)
[16] Gender Bias among Healthcare Professionals, Research, Toluna Research for Reckitt, December 2023
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