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The first thing I thought to myself when I read this headline is that certain people are probably going to get offended by someone pointing out physiological differences between sexes.

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I can understand why you might find that a silly reaction. It is indeed obvious that there are many physiological differences between men and women. However, one reason I think people get worried about this kind of research is that it can be cited as justification for treating men and women differently in situations where it is certainly not warranted.

I'm not saying there's no value to research like this, but I also believe that if it makes some people uneasy, their fears come from a good place.

But that is a really overblown and damaging worry. This study gives us actual facts that we probably need to treat men and women differently to help them both out better in dealing with pain. We need more studies which look at gender differences, not fewer. Justifying that worry because it makes people uneasy is denying reality and pretty unethical in my view.

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