The report excludes studies showing that women experience pain and develop addictions differently than men—differences that mean women might not receive adequate treatment.
Two psychologists are criticizing the United States’ latest report on how to respond to the opioid crisis, stating that the report overlooks key sex and gender differences related to opioid addiction—differences they say mean that women might not receive adequate treatment.
Rodent studies suggest that opioid drugs aren’t as effective at lessening pain in women and, as a result, women may be prescribed a higher dose, or take opioids for a longer time, say the psychologists, who are not affiliated with Washington State University.
While WSU psychology professor Rebecca Craft agrees that rodent studies are useful for understanding the brain chemistry underlying addiction, she disagrees that opioids are less effective for women than men. There just aren’t enough studies to reach that conclusion and the jury is still out, says Craft, whose research focuses on sex differences in the effects of opioids, but who was not involved in either the commentary or the government report.
Still, Craft agrees that the situation is particularly dire for women. Treatment strategies for opioid addiction have largely been developed for men based on the numerous studies in male rodents.
“Any comprehensive plan to address the opioid crisis should take these sex differences into account if we want to provide the most effective interventions for everyone,” Craft says.
More than 15,000 women died of an opioid overdose in 2017.