That's really interesting thank you.
A few random thoughts.
A few years back there was a lot of stuff about women being under medicated for pain. I wonder if that was more in surgical/ in patient type settings.
Pain killers were mainly tested on men I believe and turns out we have different responses to them. So with some (many) drugs we're not getting the optimal dose as we're being treated as small men.
I've read (and heard anecdotally) that women are over prescribed ADs. Docs are more likely to deal with symptoms (including chronic pain) as down to MH issues. Many cases of it turning out that women on ADs for years have disease/ conditions that have not been picked up.
Are these painkillers the new 'go to' for women who complain of various symptoms but there's no obvious cause?
Both ADs and opiates kind of numb you. So maybe.
The idea more women are on opiates because they go to the doctor more...
I think there's a lot of stuff in there.
When men do go they seem to be taken more seriously and at their word (anecdata).
Women have so many more interactions with the docs generally. Contraception, MAP, termination, pregnancy, menopause, appts for children often the mother attends. Smears. Etc etc.
The reasons for women attending more are always boiled down to, essentially. Just being more likely to than men and that's that.
The reason given that's why such a massive number more of women than men being on these drugs feels simplistic.
A lot to mull over.