Can partying be more damaging to girls rather than boys?
Obviously “partying” can be detrimental to both males and females but there have been studies lately that suggest that females that party have more and higher risks than males. The apparent thing that I thought of when I heard this is that females are put at risk of rape or unwanted pregnancy, but as I have learned the risks go a lot further than this. Not only do females risk the possibility of rape or unwanted pregnancy, but they also have many physiological aspects that come into play. Research done at the Duke Medical Center suggests that females metabolize alcohol differently than males. The enzyme that breaks down alcohol works differently in males and females. This causes many different risk factors for females. They can get the same effects of alcohol with a smaller amount and in a shorter period of time than a male will get with a larger amount and a longer time period. Women also experience more impairment of cognitive function and judgment as well as experiencing more severe hangovers. “Body rot”, a term that is used to describe the deterioration of the body due to using drugs or alcohol, occurs more rapidly in females. Women’s brains, livers and other body parts become damaged quicker than a male’s. A study showed that girls with shorter histories of drinking than their male counter parts experienced more memory loss and had more difficulty reading maps, solving puzzles and comprehending lectures or instructions. Brain function declines quicker in females due to the rapid loss of brain tissue and cells. As women experience more severe affects of alcohol than men, adolescent girls experience it worse than those that are over 21 years old, which is when the brain stops developing. Women can develop eating disorders, depression, stroke, cirrhosis of the liver and damage to the heart quicker from alcohol.
Is your teen involved with Alcohol or Drugs? Need help?
