Before 1990, women were largely left out of addiction clinical trials. As a result, most treatment programs today are based on research done on men. However, advances in biology research make it clear that substance abuse can affect women in profoundly different ways—meaning they may need different treatment protocols than men
The Female Factor Research: women need different treatment options than men Unique factors for women The National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) cites the following unique reasons women claim for using drugs: “controlling weight, fighting exhaustion, coping with pain and self-treating mental health problems.” During or after pregnancy, NIDA finds, women find it particularly difficult to seek help “due to possible legal or social fears and lack of child care while in treatment. Women in treatment often need support for handling the burdens of work, home care, child care and other family responsibilities.” Biological distinctions prove just, if not more, impactful. NIDA research found that women use smaller amounts of certain drugs for less time before becoming addicted. Women have more drug cravings and may be more likely to relapse after treatment, two effects that could be associated with the menstrual cycle. Sex hormone differences can make women more susceptible to the effect of some drugs. Women drug users may experience more physical effects on their heart and blood vessels, may experience different brain changes than men and are more likely to go the emergency room or die from an overdose of certain substances. Women who are victims of domestic violence are at a higher risk to use substances.
Faster track to dependence Research done by Harvard Medical School for a 2010 study found women develop alcohol dependence more quickly and that physical effects of alcohol abuse, like brain atrophy and liver damage, occur more rapidly in women. This is because women typically weigh less, contain less pound-for-pound water in their bodies, have more fatty tissue and have lower levels of two enzymes that break alcohol down in the stomach and liver. The reason more fatty tissue and less water matter: fat retains alcohol while water dilutes it, compounding alcohol’s effect in women relative to men. “Telescoping” is a term researchers use to describe an accelerated progression from substance use to dependence. According to a 2004 study by the Alcohol Research Center at the University of Connecticut, women have accelerated addiction progression for alcohol, cannabis and opioids. “Thus,” write Harvard Medical School researchers, “when women enter substance abuse treatment they typically present with a more severe clinical profile (e.g., more medical, behavioral, psychological, and social problems) than men, despite having used less of the substance and having used the substance for a shorter period of time compared with men.”
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