Certain Risk Factors Make Females Vulnerable to Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is an issue that people suffer with all over the world, but did you know that there are certain risk factors that make women more vulnerable to drug abuse than men? In order to help yourself or someone you love, continue reading to learn more about what these risk factors are, as well as what you can do to avoid them and avoid falling victim to drugs.

Different Factors for Females Than Males

During a study conducted involving young girls and women ranging from the ages of 8 to 22, it was found that these females were more likely to take drugs for a variety of reasons that differed from the reasons used by young men and boys.

Risk Factors for Young Women and Girls Risk factors for this age group included peer pressure, depression, and low self-esteem. These factors made the girls and young women vulnerable not only to substance abuse, but also to substance use disorders. These females were also found to become dependent upon the substances more quickly than males, and they also suffered with the consequences of the substance abuse sooner than males.

Risk Factors for Those in the Criminal Justice System

Studies have also found that those women who are in the criminal justice system for any reason will become more vulnerable to substance abuse, and many women who go to jail already have addictions to drugs.

Women who are incarcerated show a much higher rate of drug abuse than those who are not in jail. In fact, 47.6% of federal and 59.3% of state prisoners who were surveyed in 2004 admitted that they had taken drugs in some form or another in the month before their offence. This data, which was gathered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, also indicated that about 60.2% of females in state prisons, along with 42.8% of those in federal prisons, were found to be dependent upon drugs or they met criteria for substance abuse.

What You Can Do

Because substance abuse is a real problem that has become more prominent amongst women of all ages, with 6.6% of females ages 12 and older using illegal drugs, it is important to take steps if you know someone who suffers with dependency. And if you suffer from drug addiction, you can also take steps to help yourself.

Thankfully, whether you are addicted or you know someone who is and you want to help them get clean.

You don’t have to feel alone because there are many facilities, such as the Beachway Therapy Center or Alabama drug and alcohol rehab centers, that will help drug abusers kick their addictions to the curb.

Understanding the risk factors for drug abuse for both genders is important, but it is imperative to know that women of all ages, even very young girls, have different risk factors than men of all ages.

By simply knowing what the risk factors are, you can help someone who might be thinking about starting to take drugs and you can steer them in a better direction.