The pathway to opioid abuse for women often starts with a prescription from the doctor’s office. One reason is that women are more likely than men to seek help for pain.

Pain researchers say not only do women suffer more painful conditions, they actually perceive pain more intensely than men do.

“The burden of pain is substantially greater for women than men,” says researcher and psychologist Roger Fillingim, “and that led pain researchers like myself to wonder if the pain perception system is different in women than in men.”

Women May Be More Adept Than Men At Discerning Pain

Illustration: Grace Heejung Kim for NPR