DNA Mutations Make Women More Likely to Feel Pain

Or, alternately, “biology is crappy for the ladies, AGAIN.”

Scientists have discovered that a mutation in the mu-opioid receptor makes men less likely to feel pain. Yet the exact same mutation in women seems to make them more likely to feel pain.

And who has to force an eight-pound weight out of their crotch? Nature blows.

The mutation is fairly simple. In a strand of DNA, which we all know has four bases, those affected have a G where an A should be. So, A/A, absolutely normal pain response. A/G, somewhat heightened or lowered pain response. G/G, you’re doomed.

Granted this doesn’t mean you’ll walk around screaming because air touched you, but you will have a lower pain tolerance according to the scientific data.

If this sounds colossally unfair, there is at least a silver lining. Science have also found that this mutation on this receptor makes women less prone to drug addiction and men more prone to it. And painkillers do work, just to a slightly lesser degree.

In other words, you’ll hurt but you can take the awesome drugs for it, while dudes may hurt less, but when they do, they only get Tylenol.

We still have no way to make that “pregnancy” thing fair, though.

image courtesy Stitch on Flickr

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