When it comes to alcohol, there are key differences between men and women. Even small amounts of alcohol affect women differently. Women are definitely at greater risk of developing alcoholism than men, but why?

For starters, women generally weigh less than men. When a woman drinks alcohol, her brain and other organs are exposed to greater concentrations of the alcohol because of fewer pounds of body weight and fewer body fluids to dilute the alcohol. The toxic effects of alcohol therefore have a greater impact on women than men.

Specific problems with long-term alcohol addiction in women include general menstrual difficulties, the shrinking of breasts and sexual organs, and the redistribution of body fat into a pattern more typically found in men. Even one drink of alcohol per day has been found to increase the risk of breast cancer in women, especially if there is a family history of breast cancer. Alcohol consumption, with the resulting impaired judgment, slower motor responses, and so forth, can make women more vulnerable to sexual assault as well as unsafe and unplanned sex.

One of the most serious consequences of a woman drinking alcohol is the potential development of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in her unborn child. For this reason, it is recommended that no alcohol be consumed by a woman who is pregnant or who wants to become pregnant. Alcohol addiction is also capable of causing miscarriages. If a woman discovers she is pregnant but has already consumed alcohol, she should stop any further alcohol use immediately.

There are other interesting facts related to alcohol addiction and women. Younger women are more likely to drink heavily than older women. Women who have never been married, who are unmarried but living with a partner, and who are divorced or separated tend to drink more heavily. A woman can also be influenced by her husband — if he drinks heavily, she is also likely to drink more heavily than other women.