Women reported more intense pain than men in 14 of 47 disease categories. Men did not report more intense pain in any category, and in the rest they were even.
The differences between the sexes were notable in circulation, arthritis, respiratory and digestive problems. There was also a difference in issues with bones and muscles, plus severe nasal problems, neck and joint pain and high blood pressure.
The typical difference between men and women was just one point on the pain scale, but that could be the difference between a drug working and not working.
Lead author, Atul Butte, from the Stanford University School of Medicine, said that the disparity was "the most surprising finding".
"We completely wouldn't have expected such a difference where women were reporting a whole pain point higher on the 0-to-10 scale than men," Dr Butte said.
Previous studies have suggested the difference between the sexes may be due to oestrogen in women dampening pain receptors which helps them endure more pain when they are not menstruating.
A research paper from the University of Western Ontario in Canada has also suggested that there could be a difference in how the sexes transmit pain messages.
But some experts said that men feel pressure not to show their emotions and keep themselves in check so might be less willing to admit they are suffering.
Carol Warfield, from the department of anesthesia, critical care and pain medicine at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, said: "There have been a number of reports indicating that in our society stoicism is often considered virtuous, especially in men."
"Therefore, men may be less likely to report high levels of pain even if they perceive them ... men and women may experience the same levels of pain but women are more likely to actually admit that they have pain."
- DAILY MAIL