Alcohol & Women

Women vs. Men with Alcohol!

• Women and men engage in binge drinking in their late teenage years
and early 20s.
• According to research done by Harvard School of Public Health, 81
percent of college women reported drinking the year before the
survey.
• Because women carry less water weight than men, alcohol becomes
more concentrated in their blood.
Health Effects on Women!
• Liver Damage – Women are more vulnerable to alcohol-induced liver
disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis.
• Slows Brain Process – Women are at greater risk for alcohol-related
brain neurological issues than men.
• Heart Disease – Women who drink more than two drinks a day are at
a higher risk for coronary heart disease.
• Breast Cancer – Alcohol can increase female hormones like estrogen,
increasing the risk of breast cancer.
Cont. Health Effects on Women!
• Pregnancy Complications – Alcohol consumption during pregnancy
can result in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), miscarriage,
stillbirth, or early delivery.
• Infertility – Heavy drinking may disrupt the menstrual cycle and result
in difficulty getting pregnant or infertility.
• Dehydration – Women who drink heavily are more at risk for
dehydration, which can result in vomiting, diarrhea, fever, extreme
sweating, and damaged skin.
Social Effect on Women!
• Victimization – “There are strong links
between alcohol consumption and
intimate partner violence, and women
who drink heavily are more likely to
report acts of sexual victimization”
(Henson, 2019).
• Traffic Accidents – “Women have a higher
relative risk of driver fatality than men at
similar blood alcohol concentrations”
(Henson, 2019).
Alcohol in Moderation!
• Benefits of drinking in moderation
• Increased ease during social situations
• Increased life expectancy
• Relaxation
• Decreased anxiety
• Decreased risk of heart attack
• Moderation for women is one drink a day.
• With moderation, women can have all the
benefits of alcohol, without the health
problems.
 Works Cited
Henson, P. (2019, August 19). The Effects of Alcohol on Women:
Fertility, Hormones, Skin & Health. Retrieved from
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/the-eff
ects-of-alcohol-on-women
.
Kolander, A. Cheryl, Danny Ramsey Ballard, Cynthia Key Chandler.
Contemporary Women’s Health: Issues for Today and the Future.
McGraw-Hill, 2014. Print.