Female veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are less likely to complain of painful physical conditions than their male counterparts are.

The findings, from a study of more than 91,000 U.S. veterans, run counter to what is seen in the general population - where women typically show higher rates of chronic pain conditions, including migraines, fibromyalgia and persistent abdominal pain.

Among veterans in the study, 43 percent reported some type of physical pain over one year. And of those who had their pain evaluated at least three times, 20 percent had symptoms lasting at least several months.

Men, it turned out, were more likely to report either problem: 44 percent said they had pain at some point over the year, compared with 38 percent of women. Of those assessed for persistent pain, 21 percent of men had lingering symptoms, versus 18 percent of women.

When women did have pain, however, they were somewhat more likely than men to describe it as moderate to severe. Among veterans with any pain, 68 percent of females had moderate or severe pain, compared with 63 percent of men.

Researchers led by Dr. Sally G. Haskell, of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven, report the findings in the journal Pain Medicine.

Exactly why these findings in veterans differ from what’s been found among civilians is unclear, according to Haskell’s team.

The researchers speculate that combat exposure could be a factor. If men are more likely to be seriously injured or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in a war zone that could explain their higher rate of pain complaints.

In addition, the researchers write, it’s possible that the “persistent level of threat” faced by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan essentially equalizes men’s and women’s risk of stress-related pain.

Understanding sex differences in veterans’ risks of various health problems will be increasingly important as more and more women enter the military, according to the researchers.

“As the VA plans care for the increasing numbers of female personnel,” Haskell said in a written statement, “a better understanding of the prevalence of pain, as well as sex-specific variations in the experience and treatment of pain, is important for policy makers and providers who seek to improve identification and management of diverse pain disorders.”

SOURCE: Pain Medicine, October 2009.