The Women’s Pain Clinician Library brings together evidence-based women’s pain diagnostics, treatment and management resources and tools targeting clinicians and health professionals working with women, girls and gender diverse people.
The Women’s Pain Clinician Library was developed in response to Recommendation 1.4 of the Inquiry into Women’s Pain, which called for a clinician resource library focused on women’s pain diagnostics and management; and aims to support clinicians to access contemporary and researched backed resources for women-centric care and for supporting women and girls to achieve their health and wellbeing outcomes.
The Inquiry into Women’s Pain was designed to:
i) unpack the lived experiences of women’s pain and pain care; and
ii) improve how pain is diagnosed and treated in women, girls and gender diverse people, over the age of 12 years, within the Victorian healthcare system.
Through robust consultation the Inquiry heard from over 13,000 women, girls, carers, and clinicians. The Inquiry findings are outlined in the final report, Bridging the Gender Pain Gap, which includes 27 recommendations, spanning seven reform areas including, women's health research, policy strengthening, training and professional development, cultural change and public awareness, models of care, building our workforce and affordable and accessible healthcare.
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage (IASP, 2020).
Pain feels different for everyone because it is not just a physical sensation, but a complex mix of biological, psychological and social environment factors. In other words, many different factors affect an individual’s experience of pain (Pain Australia, 2020).
Pain in Women Factsheet
Provides an outlines of pain conditions uniquely affecting women, many of which are pelvic in location, as well as an overall statement on sex differences in pain experienced by women
Pain in Indigenous Peoples from Colonized Countries
Describes how indigeous-led solutions at mutliple levels can improve fair and equitable outcomes for indigenous people living with pain
Acute Pain Management (Royal Children's Hospital)
Acute pain management for children, including assessment and management
Biological Mechanisms Underlying Sex Differences in Pain
Outlines known biological mechanisms that can affect pain manifestation and impacts on treatment and management
Differences in Pain between Men and Women
Quick reference guide to the sex differences in pain
The Nature and Science of Pain
Outlines basic definitions and differences in chronic pain
Sex differences in how the body reduces pain
Focuses on mechanism is responsible for controlling pain relief in females.
Chronic pain: the importance of a sex and gender-based approach to treatment
Basis on importance of a sex and gender-based approach to chronic pain (USA)
Women and cardiovascular disease - Heart Foundation
Risk factors and warning signs for women with cardiovascular disease
Chronic Pain Toolkit for Clinicians
A tool for early assessment and management of pain to prevent progression to chronic pain
Chronic pain: the importance of a sex and gender-based approach to treatment
Basis on importance of a sex and gender-based approach to chronic pain (USA)
Chronic Pelvic Pain
A guide to diagnosis and treatment for chronic pelvic pain from a gynaecological model of clilnical management
Clinical Assessment of Pain
Checklist of clinical assessment of pain in all people. To be considered with intersectional pieces, particularly Victorian Pain Standard
Comprehensive Care Standard: Identifying goals of care and tips for clinicians
A standard for goals of care with each patient during an episode of care within a clinical context.
Multidisciplinary Pain Management
Outline of multidisciplinary pain management, key elements, and how to implement. Not specific to women, to be used in conjuction with other resources
Pain Management in Women During Medical Procedures: Gaps, Challenges, and Recommendations
Literature Review outlining the gender disparities in pain management and how systemic reforms towards personalised, gender-informed approaches can improve quality of care in pain treatment
Pathways out of Persistent Pain: Quick reference guide
Quick reference guide for supporting patients on the management of persistent pain
Physiotherapy and Women’s Pain – Evidence-Based Overview
The evidence focuses on pelvic and musculoskeletal pain. Highlights physiotherapy as central in multidisciplinary pain care.
Procedures in pain medicine clinical care standard
Clinical standard for pain medicine to articulate what is considered to be appropriate and safe use of procedures in the practice of pain medicine
Validating pain communication: current state of the science
Examines the effects of validation in pain communication, pain-realted thoughts and feelings, and the outcomes in patients
Women and Chronic Pain: For Health and Social Service Providers
This information guide was designed by researchers and people with lived experience of chronic pain at the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, as part of a larger study on women’s chronic pain and prescription opioid use. The information included will help you learn more about women’s chronic pain and strategies for pain management to support your practice and facilitate trusting relationships with patients.
FSRH Statement: Pain associated with insertion of intrauterine contraception
Statement on pain associated with the insertion of an intrauterine contraceptive device, and interventions to reduce pain.
Improving Pain Care for Culturally Diverse Populations in High-Income Countries
Describes the current challenges and possible solutions for improving pain care in CALD communities in high-income countries, noting the discrepancies in access and clinical outcomes for these communities
Pain in Refugee and Displaced Populations
Provides information on specific care for displaced people, with an informed pain chart to apply to assessment
Endometriosis Management Plan (EMP)
A structured tool that supports the evidence-based assessment and care of people with suspected or confirmed endometriosis or chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in general practice.
Statement on pelvic pain and endometriosis
Clinical standard on PPP and its relationship with endometriosis
Endometriosis
Fact sheet by RANZCOG on what endometriosis is, how it is diagnosed, and pain management options
Endometriosis: Australian Living Evidence Guideline
Quick reference guide for Primary Care by RANZCOG
Pelvic Pain Foundation Australia – Health Professional Hub
Access resources from the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia to support the assessment and management of persistent pelvic pain
Endometriosis Symptoms & Treatment - WHRIA
Specialist information from Women’s Health & Research Institute of Australia (WHRIA) on endometriosis
Period Pain Relief - WHRIA
Clinical information from WHRIA on assessing and managing period pain, including primary dysmenorrhoea and secondary causes such as endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids
Pudendal Neuralgia Treatment & Symptoms - WHRIA
Specialist information from WHRIA on the symptoms, clinical assessment and management of pudendal neuralgia
Painful Sex - WHRIA
Clinical information from WHRIA on identifying potential causes of painful sex and multidisciplinary approaches to assessment and management
Vaginismus - WHRIA
Clinical information from WHRIA on recognising and managing vaginismus, including physical contributors and multidisciplinary treatment approaches
Vulvar Pain Treatment - WHRIA
Clinical information on assessing and managing vulvar pain, including vestibulodynia and generalised unprovoked vulvodynia, differential causes and multidisciplinary treatment approaches
Pelvic Pain in Australian Women 2023 - Jean Hailes
Australian survey findings from Jean Hailes for Women’s Health on the prevalence and impact of pelvic pain, with implications for proactive identification in clinical practice
Pain and Gender Diversity - Beyond the Binary
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) provides an evidence-informed overview of pain in transgender and gender-diverse people, including biological and sociocultural influences on pain and practical considerations for inclusive, person-centred pain care
Intersectionality and Pain Across the Life Course
IASP provides an intersectional framework for understanding how sex, gender and social determinants interact to shape pain, with implications for more equitable pain assessment and clinical care.
Gender differences in Chronic Pain Conditions
Outlines key gender differences in both prevalence and presentation of persistent pain conditions
Overview of Sex and Gender Differences in Human Pain
Basic outline of sex and gender differences in pain and pain management
Engendering Pain: Psychosocial Mechanisms Underlying Sex-related Differences in Pain
Outlines known psychosocial mechanisms that can affect pain experiences and management
Gendered Worlds of Pain: Women, Marginalisation and Chronic Pain
Thematic analysis of the gendered experience of chronic (persistent) pain, and the intersection with socioeconomic and trauma related marginalisation in the experience, outcomes and treatment of pain conditions.
Six Interventions to Tackle Unconscious or Implicit Bias
Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) outlines practical interventions for healthcare professionals to recognise and address implicit bias and its influence on clinical decision-making, communication and patient care
The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause
A clinical review of the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, highlighting musculoskeletal symptoms associated with oestrogen decline and the importance of recognition and management during perimenopause and menopause
An overview of Neuropathic Pain and its Impact
A factsheet providing an overview of Neuropathic Pain, the subtypes, impact, burden, and prevalence.
Pain and Ovarian Cancer
Consumer information from Ovarian Cancer Action on recognising and managing pain associated with ovarian cancer and its treatment
Sex/Gender Biases in Pain Research and Clinical Practice
IASP examines sex and gender bias in pain research and clinical practice, including how bias can influence pain assessment, communication treatment decisions, and approaches to increasing clinician awareness
Prevalence and the Human and Social Cost of Pain
Australian data on the prevalence and broader impacts of chronic pain, providing context for its significance as a population health and clinical issue
If you have a question, find information that may be outdated or incorrect, encounter a broken link, or would like to recommend a resource for inclusion, contact us at clinicianshealthchannel@safercare.vic.gov.au