My observation would be that the "Male" ability to ignore minor pain is a learned ability, and really isn't just a male thing. Little kids cry when they're hurt, but exposure to enough "little hurts" eventually leads to the observation that sitting down and crying about it interferes with getting on with the game.

In "olden times long forgotten" little boys played games (or did chores) that were likely to give them more frequent exposure to minor "hurts." Social conditioning also (way back then) did not permit the guys to linger over "interuptions," while little girls were granted - to some extent - the luxury of complaining a bit.

From what I can vaguely recall of that long-ago time, the little girls who played "boy stuff" quite frequently outdid the little boys in ignoring the bumps and bruises - if they were exposed to and participated in the same "dangerous" activities. (I do recall, fondly, a few or more pretty tough young girls.)

Some experimenters suggest, in fact, that the ability to withstand "deep pain" is more common, possibly of biological predisposition, in women. (They usually talk about childbirth, and I have never heard a male express very seriously a wish to do that.)

The ability to ignore minor pains is a learned thing, and either sex can learn it. The purpose of ignoring minor pains is so that you can get on with what you're doing.

Answer - give them something they need to do (for most males thinking, especially about speculative interests, is a major task - a friendly young female with semi-exposed belly button is probably task overload) and the response to pain is more easily and completely suppressed. But women can, and often do, learn to do it just as well.

The experiment should be repeated with female subjects - if anyone can figure out what interests them.

John