Lesson 7

Introduction

In this next module, we will focus on a drug that is very commonly used by women: alcohol. We will
also discuss the important issue of alcohol use and pregnancy.

Why Do Women Drink?

become a way to spend time together, or to relax together. It may become something unique to the relationship between the two of you and take on a special meaning or bond for the two of you.

Your Metabolism

Another important thing to consider is the differences in how women use and metabolize drugs of abuse, particularly alcohol. When we talk about metabolizing something, we mean the way in which a substance is processed by the body. Because of the way women process alcohol, they cannot and should not use alcohol at the same level as a man. For many women, if their partner is using alcohol in an unhealthy way, they may be influenced to also use in ways that are unhealthy.
 
This idea of the differences in how men and women metabolize alcohol becomes very important when we begin to think about healthy versus unhealthy drinking levels.
 
The image below shows what is considered a “standard drink” and is based on what is called absolute alcohol levels. As you can see, what is considered a standard beer, a standard glass of wine, or a standard drink of hard alcohol is probably a lot less than you would think.
 
Are you surprised by these standard amounts? As I’m sure you know, we can and do have access to containers of alcohol that serve much larger quantities than these considered standard.

What Constitutes “Risky” Drinking? Less than you might think

Let’s think about what is considered healthy versus unhealthy drinking, or “risky” drinking. This chart outlines the levels of alcohol use considered healthy vs. unhealthy for men and women at various
stages of their life. Once again, male/female differences in how our bodies use and metabolize alcohol are important.
 
What’s “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking?
For healthy adults in general, drinking more than these single-day or weekly limits is considered “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking.
 
Men: More than 4 drinks on any day or 14 per week.
 
Women: More than 3 drinks on any day or 7 per week.
 
About 1 in 4 people who exceed these limits already have alcohol use disorder. The rest are at greater risk for developing drinking disorders and other problems. Again, individual risks vary. People can have problems drinking less than these amounts, particularly if they drink too quickly.

ANY alcohol use is risky when: pregnant, driving, with certain medical conditions, when taking certain medications, when in recovery from addiction, when someone can’t control their drinking.

What About a “Binge” For a Woman?

What do you think is the amount a young woman would need to drink to be considered a binge? Knowing what you now know about the different ways a woman’s body processes alcohol versus a man’s, do you think the amount of a binge is different for women and men?
 
A binge for a young woman is considered 4 or more drinks at a time, or in a “sitting” (sometimes quantified as a 2-hour “sitting”) and for a man a binge is 5 or more drinks at a time.
 
Next we will examine the issue of binge drinking and young women.

Estimated Percent of Binge Drinking Among Women 18-44

CDC conducts a series of surveys each year as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, or BRFSS. Included is a survey in which they ask women of childbearing age - which for this survey is considered to be 18 to 44 years old - 2 questions: the first is whether they use alcohol at all and the second is whether they ever engage in binge drinking.
 
As we just discussed, for a woman a binge is 4 or more drinks in a sitting or usually within a 2-hour period of time. As you can see in Georgia, somewhere between 16.6% and 19.1% of women of childbearing age have engaged in binge drinking.
 
As I’m sure you know, binge drinking is a very risky behavior for everyone. Driving under the influence, motor vehicle crashes, other types of accidents like falls, and a higher risk for sexual assaults or domestic violence are all possible consequences when someone uses too much alcohol.
 
Additionally, we know about 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. Do you think the rate of unintended pregnancy might be higher with young women who binge drink? What about alcohol exposure to the fetus from an unintended pregnancy when binge drinking? These are all significant and serious issues for a young woman who may be struggling with the use of too much alcohol.

What Are the Risks of Alcohol Use?

liver disease, heart disease, depression, stroke, and stomach bleeding, as well as cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus,  larynx, pharynx, liver, colon, and rectum. They may also have problems managing conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, pain, and sleep disorders. They may also increase their chances for contracting sexually transmitted infections from unsafe sex.
 
Birth Defects
Drinking during pregnancy can cause brain damage and other serious problems in the baby. Because it is not yet known whether any amount of alcohol is safe for a developing baby, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not drink.
 
Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition that doctors can diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm. In the United States, nearly 15 million people have alcohol use disorder.5