{"id":21975,"date":"2024-05-12T23:58:48","date_gmt":"2024-05-12T21:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=21975"},"modified":"2024-05-12T23:59:07","modified_gmt":"2024-05-12T21:59:07","slug":"alcoholism-in-women-what-we-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/alcoholism-in-women-what-we-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Alcoholism In Women, What We Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alcoholism, or <\/span>alcohol use disorder <\/span><\/a>(AUD), is a serious condition that can have life-long, potentially fatal consequences. Since the pandemic, alcohol use has been on the <\/span>rise<\/span><\/a> among women, potentially due to higher reported levels of anxiety and depression. <\/span><\/p>\n

According to the <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a>, nearly half of adult women have drunk alcohol in the last 30 days, with around 13% of adult women reporting binge drinking. Among those who binge drink, a quarter average weekly binge drinking, and almost 18% of women between the ages of 18-44 binge drink. In 2020, 9% of all women and 17% of women from 18-35 years old suffered from alcohol use disorder. <\/span><\/p>\n

Alcohol use disorder wrecks just as much havoc on the lives of men as women, but women face even more physical challenges related to AUD than men due to a range of physiological factors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Alcohol Affects Women Differently Than Men<\/span><\/h2>\n

Even though men are statistically more likely to consume alcohol and in greater quantities, biological differences in body chemistry and structure mean that it takes most women longer to metabolize alcohol, and that most women end up absorbing more alcohol than men. <\/span><\/p>\n

Since women have less water in their bodies pound for pound than men, have slower metabolisms, and are typically physically smaller, the immediate effects of alcohol take hold faster and last longer. These metabolic differences compound the long-term negative health effects of alcohol for female bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hormonal Factors That Impact Female Drinking<\/span><\/h2>\n

While research is still in the preliminary stages, female reproductive hormones may play a role in how women consume and react to alcohol. Senior scientist and head of the Division of Neuroscience at the Oregon National Primate Research Center Kathleen Grant, Ph.D., has been studying the way female menstrual cycles and resulting hormone fluctuations impact when and how much we drink. <\/span><\/p>\n

Products of progesterone metabolism known as metabolites interact with our brain circuitry in a similar way as alcohol, and metabolites decrease anxiety and stress. Her <\/span>research <\/span><\/a>suggests that women may drink more during the premenstrual phase of their cycle, since progesterone declines and causes increased anxiety. <\/span><\/p>\n

Products of progesterone metabolism known as metabolites interact with our brain circuitry in a similar way as alcohol, and metabolites decrease anxiety and stress. However, further research is necessary on other factors like age-induced hormonal changes affect alcohol consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n

Women Face More Alcohol-Related Health Risks<\/span><\/h2>\n

Compared to men, women have had <\/span>more significant increases<\/span><\/a> in alcohol-related medical emergencies and deaths in the last two decades. Some other alcohol-related health risks women face include:<\/span><\/p>\n