Sex Differences in Health: Evidence and Explanations 367the last 50 years, such that today there are no
sex differences in alcohol usage among youth.
Is this because society now views drinking as
equally acceptable in women and men? Find
out about your peers’ attitudes toward men
and women drinking in Do Gender 10.4.Drugs
The health consequences of substance abuse
can be severe; the most severe consequence
is death. However, substance abuse can also
lead to other problems, such as complications
with pregnancy, health problems in children
born to addicted mothers and fathers, sexual
difficulties, and, in the case of intravenous
drug use, HIV. Women are quicker to develop
physical health problems following drug us-
age compared to men, such as liver problems,
hypertension, and gastrointestinal problems
(Tuchman, 2010). Women are less likely to
seek treatment than men, because women are
poorer, are more likely to have a drug-usingmore frequently, consumed higher amounts
of alcohol at one time, had more episodes of
heavy drinking, and were more likely to suffer
adverse consequences of drinking compared
to women (e.g., health problems, criticism by
others, losing control; Wilsnack et al., 2000).
Studies of college students also show that males
drink more alcohol, have more alcohol-related
problems, and are more likely to binge drink
than females (Harrell & Karim, 2008). The sex
difference in alcohol usage holds among sexual
minorities. Gay men drink more alcohol than
lesbians, but there is no difference between the
two groups in alcohol-related problems (Ama-
dio, Adam, & Buletza, 2008). Lesbians drink
more than heterosexual women (Fassinger &
Arseneau, 2007).
The relation of gender to alcohol among
high school students is quite different. Here,
the picture is one of similarity. Among ninth
through twelfth graders, 43% of females and
41% of males drink alcohol, defined as having
one drink during the past 30 days (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2010a). Rates
are comparable for females and males among
Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics, although over-
all usage is lower among Blacks than Whites
or Hispanics. Binge drinking is also compa-
rable between females and males (23% vs.
25%) among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics,
but again, overall binge drinking (defined as
five or more drinks in a row) is lower among
Blacks than Whites and Hispanics.
One reason adult women drink less
heavily than men has to do with society’s at-
titudes toward drinking (Nolen-Hoeksema
& Hilt, 2006). Society disapproves of heavy
drinking in women, which is thought to inter-
fere with the female role of being responsible
for children. Another reason women drink
less than men is that women are more in-
volved in religion, which deters drinking. Sex
differences in drinking have decreased overDO GENDER 10.4
Attitudes Toward Men
and Women DrinkingCreate several scenarios of a person at a
party drinking varying amounts of alco-
hol, ranging from none to moderate to a
lot (i.e., so much that he or she gets sick or
blacks out). Create two versions of these
scenarios by using a female name and a
male name. Develop a set of items to mea-
sure people’s attitudes toward the person
in the scenario. Are women and men who
do not use alcohol viewed similarly? Are
men and women who drink alcohol viewed
similarly? Does it depend on the level?
Finally, do the answers to these questions
depend on the sex of the respondent?M10_HELG0185_04_SE_C10.indd 367 6/21/11 8:54 AM