US EditionWhy Does Pain Last Longer for Women? Immune Cells May Be the Culprit
Hormone-regulated monocytes produce less pain-resolving IL-10 in women, leading to longer chronic pain, study suggests potential for new non-opioid treatments.
- On 28 Feb 2026, the study published in Science Immunology found a subset of monocytes releases interleukin-10 that switches off pain, explaining why chronic pain lasts longer in women than men.
- Testosterone-Driven IL-10 production appears protective as testosterone promotes IL-10 in males, while estrogen and progesterone, plus genetics, increase pain sensitivity in women, Shravani Durbhakula, MD, says.
- Using mouse models, Laumet's team ran at least five tests and used high-dimensional spectral flow cytometry, while the AURORA longitudinal study of 245 trauma patients showed men had higher IL-10 and faster pain resolution over three months.
- Researchers propose therapies to enhance IL-10 production, as NIH and U.S. Department of Defense funding may enable non-opioid options to shorten post-injury pain and prevent chronic pain.
- The research positions sex-specific approaches as important for equitable pain management, as the study rebukes the idea women's longer pain is merely perception by showing a biological mechanism behind it involving monocytes.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Why does pain last longer for women? Immune cells may be the culprit
For decades, differences in pain between men and women have often been attributed to psychological, emotional or social factors. Because of that, persistent pain in women is often overlooked in care.
Testosterone acts as a natural painkiller in men by stimulating immune cells that actively " extinguish" the signal of pain. In women, this mechanism is less powerful, explaining why pain can persist longer. This biological difference, not psychological, opens the way for new treatments for chronic pain.
The immune system of men seems to be better equipped to prevent pain, which could explain why chronic pain is more common in women, suggests findings of a study conducted on rats and humans, transmits Reuters wines.
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