Does alcohol affect women differently than men?
It generally takes less alcohol to affect women than men because women are generally smaller than men and their bodies contain less water to dilute the alcohol. Women also metabolize alcohol more slowly than men. As a result, if a woman drinks the same number of drinks as a man over the same time period, she will reach a higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) she will be drunker. Women also develop alcohol-related health problems such as cirrhosis of the liver with lower levels of alcohol use over a shorter period of time than men. Premenstrual hormonal changes can cause intoxication to set in faster and last longer especially during the days right before a woman gets her period. Birth control pills or other medication with estrogen can also increase and extend intoxication. Many women also find that alcohol makes PMS worse.
