More Young Women Are ‘Drinking To Cope,’ In A Dangerous Trend : Shots Health News : NPR

For nearly a century, women have been closing the gender gap in alcohol consumption, binge-drinking and alcohol use disorder. What was previously a 3-1 ratio for risky drinking habits in men versus women is closer to 1-to-1 globally, a 2016 analysis of several dozen studies suggested. A variety of factors might contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in treatment use specifically among women. One factor is the stigma of AUD, which may be a particularly salient deterrent for social groups that have more conservative drinking norms and that might already be socially marginalized. All of these issues may be magnified for women due to the more intense social control of women’s drinking. Thus, consideration of other ways that disparities in alcohol-related problems can arise is needed.

1. For people over 26, women are increasing their alcohol consumption faster than men.
2. For example, some ales are 3.5%, but some stronger lagers can be as much as 6% ABV.
3. Some people who identify as being part of a sexual or gender minority group are also more likely to engage in these behaviors, like drug use or having sex without protection.
4. The NHS stresses that sticking to, or under, alcohol intake guidelines can really help.
5. There are plenty of other ways to safeguard your health, such as regular exercise, a nutritious diet, keeping your weight under control, and not smoking.

Health, Morbidity, and Mortality

Anyone who has struggled to overcome alcohol dependence or an alcohol abuse problem knows how difficult aprocess recovery can be. But the evidence suggests that women are just as likely to recover as men once theybegin treatment—a glimmer of hope that may make the journey to recovery worth trying. These trends are disturbing, given that binge drinking not only carries health risks for both men and women but also increases the chance of unwanted and unplanned sexual activity.

Women in many different cultures enjoy drinking alcohol for a variety of reasons—to celebrate a special occasion, help them feel more sociable, or simply to unwind with family and friends. While many are able to drink responsibly, alcohol use does pose unique risks to all women. While men are more likely to drink alcohol than women, and to develop problems because of their drinking, women are much more vulnerable to alcohol’s harmful effects.

Alcohol and breast cancer

One standard drink is defined as 5 ounces of wine, but many modern wine glasses have room for several times that amount so it’s easy to pour much more and think it’s only one drink. Wine glass capacity has increased sevenfold over 300 years, one study found. Women, particularly in the mom age group, have been “just bombarded” with alcohol advertising over the years, Sugarman said. Ads and social media posts can create the expectation that wine-soaked days are healthy fun, but the negative health consequences are real. But even before the pandemic, women’s drinking levels were concerning experts.

This study represents the first systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the relationship between alcohol consumption and sexual dysfunction in women. The study utilized optimal secondary analysis methods from seven primary studies, all of which were cross-sectional. The findings indicate an odds ratio of 1.74, indicating that alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction in women by 74%.

For people over 26, women are increasing their alcohol consumption faster than men. Among teens and young adults, however, there’s an overall decline in drinking. She sees a future where evaluating a person’s risk for alcohol-related diseases can be tailored to him or her as an individual. “Think of a test that’s as simple as a pregnancy test, but instead of only measuring acute alcohol content (like the current blood alcohol tests) it can reflect a person’s long-term alcohol intake,” says Dr. Grant. Even more, that test could help providers and consumers understand if their alcohol intake, whatever that may be, is placing them at a risk for specific diseases (such as liver or heart disease). She adds that more research is necessary to make these tests more accurate and widely available.

How to Stop Self-Medicating Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

These results highlight the need for policymakers to prioritize this issue and raise awareness regarding the harmful effects of alcohol consumption on female sexual function and its impact on population health and reproduction. In addition, Black women in this study experienced greater sedating effects from alcohol than White women. In view of the greater cumulative and chronic stress experienced by Black women compared with White women,51,65 this finding of greater sedating effects of alcohol might be a factor in Black-White disparities in persistent heavy drinking and AUD among older women who drink. Taken together, these life-course drinking studies highlight racial/ethnic differences in the heavy-drinking trajectories of women in their early and mid-20s, which are consistent with the greater DSM-IV AUD risk observed during this period among young White women. Importantly, early adulthood is a time when health is relatively robust, and many women have yet to take on large, adult responsibilities.

No amount of alcohol is protective against cardiovascular disease, a recent study confirmed, so drinking red wine or spirits in the name Stimulant Overdose Drug Overdose CDC Injury Center of heart health may not have any benefits. One reason may be that women don’t always recognize how much they’re drinking, Patel says. An official serving of wine is just five ounces, but today’s large stemware often holds 10 ounces or more. When two people polish off a bottle over dinner, they’ve each had two-and-a-half servings. Cute terms like mommy juice or liquid courage belie the reality that even small amounts of wine, beer, or cocktails endanger health. Last year, the global nonprofit World Heart Federation challenged the widely held notion that a daily glass of red wine is good for you.

Experts point to women’s body composition, which has more fatty tissue and less water than men of similar weight, leading to higher and more persistent blood-alcohol concentration. And their hormonal fluctuations are thought to play a role in how quickly alcohol breaks down. Yet when it comes to prevention and treatment of alcohol-related health issues, “that message is not really getting out there,” Sugarman says. Women generally have less body water, which dissolves alcohol, than men of the same weight. That means the same number of drinks leads them to have higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood, and their body tissues are exposed to more alcohol per drink. What’s more, despite alcohol’s temporary calming properties, it can actually increase anxiety and depression, research suggests; some studies show it may lead to depression more quickly in women than in men.