Why is pain in women more often interpreted as ‘emotional’? Why are men more likely to undergo invasive diagnostic procedures, whilst women are more likely to be prescribed sedatives? What role do gender norms, stereotypes and implicit biases play in everyday clinical practice? And how do these mechanisms affect diagnosis, the progression of chronic pain, adherence to treatment and inequalities in care?
Our colleague Stefanie Beinert gave a talk on this topic last Wednesday, 28 January 2026, to an audience of around 160 people.

In her talk, she examined pain from a gender- and diversity-sensitive perspective and demonstrated how structural assumptions and bias systematically shape the perception, assessment and treatment of pain. Her aim was to raise awareness of gender bias in pain medicine, to contextualise key mechanisms, and to identify starting points for fairer, evidence-based and patient-centred pain care.

Gender-sensitive medicine is essential for modern and inclusive medicine, yet unfortunately it is rarely taught. That is why the critical medical students of Oldenburg @kritmeds.ol have taken the initiative to create a platform specifically for these issues.