Substance Use and Gender

Gender differences in substance use are in addition to sex differences that exist, which refer to differences between males and females regarding the absorption rates, tolerance, and the amount of time it takes to develop a dependency of the drug. There are many gender differences between men and women and substance use, which have been studied by national organizations such as the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The National Institute of Drug Abuse has concluded that differences between men and women exist on several levels, including responses to drugs in parts of the brain, risk factors for drug abuse, motivations for abusing prescription drugs, and the impact and effectiveness of treatment programs. There are additional genders besides men and women, such as intersex; however, research ...