A Diagnosis on Gender Specific Difference of Belonephobia and Pain Associated with Fingerpricking in Haematology Laboratory

Abstract

Introduction: Needle  phobia,  clinically  termed  as  belonephobia  is  a  sub-type  of  blood-injury-injection  phobia  (BII  phobia).  Heightened sensitivity to experimentally induced pain,  clinical  pain  and  pain-related  distress  is  greater  in  women  compared  with  men.  In reproductive age women, gonadal hormone  levels  also  have  a  substantial  impact  on  pain  perception  anffid  analgesic  response.  So, this study  was  conducted with  the  objective  to  compare  any  difference  in  pain  and  symptoms  felt  by  males  and  females  after  pricking  with  hypodermic  needles.

Materials and Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted in haematology laboratory of physiology department.  A total of  216 subjects  (120  females  and  96  males)  in  the  age  group  of  18  to  23  years  were  selected.  The  participants  were  asked  to  fill  up  the questionnaire  based  on  pain  and  phobia  associated  with  fingerpricking  on  first  and  tenth  exposure  with  hypodermic  needle.  Assessment of pain was done by rating on numerical pain rating scale (NPRS).

Results: Females reported more  fear  of  pain  due  to  fingerprick  compared  to  males  (68.3%  vs  49%,  P<0.05).  On first exposure  with  needle, females  reported  symptoms  of  sweaty,  palpitations  and  dizziness  significantly  more  than  males  (P<0.05).  On tenth exposure, shortness of breath was  more  in  males  than  females  (5.2%  vs  0.8%)  but,  there  was  no  significant  association  in  any  other  symptom  between  males  and females.  On tenth exposure, there was increase  in  mild  grade  of  pain  score  and  reduction  in  moderate  and  severe  grade  on  NPRS  (P<0.001) in  both  groups and  significant  reduction  was  more  in  females than  males  (P=0.01). 

Conclusion: It was concluded  that  females  were  more  needle  phobics  than  males  and  with  subsequent  exposures,  i.e.,  on  10th  exposure with  hypodermic  needle  there  was  reduction  in  pain  and  symptoms  after  finger-prick  in  both  groups.  Also, female students need more assistance during pricking.