Summary: Gender differences in both pain perception and pain relief are due to the interaction of many factors. These include genetic, anatomical, physiological, hormonal, neuronal, psychological and social. All modulate pain in different ways in the sexes. A review of the literature on gender and clinical pain reveals a disproportionate representation of women treated for pain and suggests that women report more severe pain, more frequent and of longer duration than men. Gender differences in drug therapy and non-pharmacological pain interventions have also been reported, but these effects appear to depend on the type and characteristics of treatment. Approaching men and women as separate and distinct individuals with different customs and needs is problematic because it can perpetuate gender norms, which in turn can lead to individual needs being overlooked. Gender norms are culturally based and express expectations about the interests, behavior and life choices of women and men. There is therefore a risk that health professionals treat men and women based on gender norms rather than the individual and even specific needs of the individual.