For Grace’s Women In Pain
Awareness and Education Project

Women In Pain Bill of Rights

A woman in pain has the right to:

• Have her self-report of pain taken seriously, without prejudice, bias or dismissal.
• Express her pain experience in its fullest context in a way that is true to her nature.
• Have her pain experience equally assessed to that of a man’s.
• Not have her pain experience dismissed or discounted condescendingly as “all in her head,” “hysterical,” “hormonal,” “psychogenic,” “too emotional,” etc.
• Have a free and open DIALOGUE with her physician about her pain experience and its impact on all aspects of her life.
• Receive treatment that is consistent with current pain management standards.
• Be treated by a physician enlightened to the fact that women and men experience pain differently.
• Challenge her physician about diagnosis and prescribed treatments without fear of being labeled “hostile” or “difficult.”
• Be treated in a clinical setting which understands and appreciates pain as a mind/body experience and accepts that emotional overlay (depression, anxiety, etc.), secondary to the organic cause, can adversely affect pain level.
• Seek relief by whatever means is most effective, be it alternative, complementary, traditional Western or by other treatment regimen.