This Alcohol Alert examines gender differences in alcohol's effects and considers some factors that may place women at risk for alcohol-related problems. Metabolism Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men. In addition, women appear to eliminate alcohol from the blood faster than men. Using MRI, researchers found that a brain region involved in coordinating multiple brain functions was significantly smaller among alcoholic women compared with both nonalcoholic women and alcoholic men. These results are not consistent with a greater vulnerability to alcoholic brain damage in women.
Women are also less likely to view drinking and driving as acceptable behavior.
Nevertheless, the proportion of female drivers involved in fatal crashes is increasing. The relative contribution of genetic factors to women's risk for alcoholism has been debated. Age of Initiating Drinking. Rates of lifetime dependence declined to approximately 10 percent among those who began drinking at age 20 or older. Instead of relying on women's recall of their pasts, Widom and colleagues consulted court records to identify cases of childhood physical or sexual abuse.