Pains

In keeping with the goal of this blog - let's break down a headline from today...

Women experience more pain than men.
Women report more pain than men.
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Leading to these questions - you should be asking

Is it that women are asked more often whether or not they are in pain, by physicians or researchers?
How was this information collected?  Did researchers ask physicians about pain reporting in their patients (i.e. a second hand report)? 
Do physicians ask the same questions to men and women?

Was the man or woman asked about pain in a written self completed survey?  
Were they asked in an interview?  Did a man ask a man and a woman ask a woman - or opposite sex pairs or was there any "set" way?
 Would a woman say something to a doctor, a researcher, on paper or in person that she wouldn't say the other way?  Would a man?
Does it matter who is asking?
Do men and women always tell the truth about their pain levels or frequency?  Does that answer change based on who or how the question is asked?

Isn't it more socially acceptable for a man to hide his pain from others?

Does the pain level or frequency reported equal that experienced?
I.e. if I say I have x amount of pain x days a week - do I have that exact amount or more or less?
 Do women really have more pain than men, or do they report more pain than men - could be yes' and no's.

My personal experience - (not an experiment or a survey)- Men may not tell their friends, doctors or coworkers that they are in pain, but boy do they tell their partners... and the tolerance for pain in the men I know has been rather low!!