The effects that most drugs have on the body have been known for a long time. Various studies and the personal experiences of people who use these substances have highlighted the risks involved in taking drugs. Everyone can be affected, which is why prevention and a good understanding of the serious consequences of consumption are so important. Both men and women are exposed to these dangers. Even so, there are some differences in how drugs affect both sexes. In a previous article, we saw how addiction is not experienced in the same way by men and women. In today’s article, we will look at how this difference manifests depending on specific substances.
Stimulant drugs
- Cocaine and methamphetamine
Both men and women are more or less equally likely to consume stimulant substances. However, women tend to start at younger ages. One of the reasons that may explain the biological differences between men and women regarding stimulants is hormones. Females often have a greater craving to consume and are more likely to relapse due to changes during the menstrual cycle and hormone production.
Studies in humans and animals have shown that estrogen plays a very important role in the reward system exerted by dopamine when taking stimulant drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine. This would explain why women become addicted faster and take larger doses of these substances. Despite this difference, if we look at the effects that stimulant drugs cause in aspects such as learning, concentration, or academic success, the impairment is the same in both sexes. On the other hand, men are more likely to suffer a reduction in blood flow to the frontal regions of the brain as a result of cocaine use.
Leaving aside more biological issues, cultural differences regarding the addictive power of these types of drugs are also observed. Men are more likely to abuse stimulant substances with the aim of continuing to have a good time, while many women do so to have more energy for family or work tasks and to lose weight. And one final difference: men are more likely to turn to other drugs if they cannot obtain methamphetamine. Women are more likely to seek treatment to overcome addiction and to complete it successfully.
- Ecstasy
This stimulant, also known as MDMA, acts as a powerful hallucinogen and also shows differences in its effects on men and women. According to several studies, women may experience higher peaks in symptoms and more intense hallucinations. For their part, men show larger increases in blood pressure when taking ecstasy. Additionally, women tend to suffer from depression more frequently than men.
Another particularity of ecstasy consumption refers to its ability to dehydrate the body and alter the organism’s ability to eliminate excess water and reduce sodium levels in the blood. When a person dehydrated by ecstasy begins to drink water in large quantities, it is possible for their brain cells to retain that water instead of eliminating it. As a consequence, cerebral edema and death can occur. Regarding sex, although it is not common, young women between the ages of 15 and 30 have died because of this.
Depressant drugs
The case of central nervous system depressant substances has seen a change in recent years. Historically, men and women had more or less followed a series of cultural norms related to the consumption of these drugs. For many years, men were more likely to abuse alcohol and women to abuse prescription pills. But recently, this situation has changed. Thus, we can see how more and more women are drinking at levels similar to those of men, and men are increasingly abusing pills as well.
- Opioids
Some research suggests that women are more sensitive to pain and may experience chronic pain more frequently than men. Women are also more likely to abuse prescription opioids like oxycodone to self-medicate for pain or anxiety. Furthermore, women develop a dependence on opioids faster than men due to a greater dopamine response in the brain. Even so, more and more men are abusing opioids, and more among them suffer a fatal overdose as a result of the abuse.
Regarding heroin use, initially, women were more likely to suffer a fatal overdose. However, after a few years, the reality is that they are currently more likely to survive heroin use than men. On the other hand, and in comparison with men, women who abuse this drug are generally younger and more likely to take smaller doses over shorter periods of time.
- Alcohol
Alcohol is another substance traditionally consumed more by men, but in recent years, women have been approaching their consumption levels. In the case of adolescents, girls between 12 and 20 years old suffer more cases of excessive alcohol consumption than boys.
Another well-studied aspect refers to how alcohol affects women more than men due to their lower body mass. Therefore, they are at higher risk of suffering severe damage from alcohol abuse and have a death rate between 50% and 100% higher than men (including suicides, consumption-related accidents, or heart attacks). Additionally, women are also more likely to develop alcohol dependence with lower levels of consumption.
- Marijuana
As with alcohol and opioids, men consume more cannabis than women, with a ratio of three men for every woman. The effects of marijuana on both sexes also show differences. While the impairment of spatial memory is greater in women, men experience more intense “highs.” Both sexes show the same rate of treatment for addiction to this substance, and both also suffer from at least some other mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, etc. Men, however, are more likely to have other concurrent substance use disorders, as well as antisocial personality disorder. Women who abuse marijuana are more likely to suffer from panic attacks and anxiety disorders.
CCAdicciones is an addiction treatment centre where we have the best professionals to help you if you are addicted to any drug or have any other addiction. Get in touch with us if you think you need help to regain control of your life.
