If you’re female, your physiology is different from men. Your body handles the intake of alcohol differently than men’s bodies do. For this reason, women may end up with higher concentrations of alcohol in their blood despite drinking the same amount of alcohol as men.
As a female, you need to understand why alcohol affects you differently, so that you can plan to drink less or make plans to stay out of your vehicle when intoxicated. Not doing so can lead to heavy intoxication, possible alcohol poisoning and drunk driving.
How does a woman’s physiology differ from a man’s?
The primary difference is the metabolism. Women’s bodies have less water, so when they drink alcohol, it makes up a greater percentage of their blood. This gives them a higher blood alcohol content reading. Interestingly, women also metabolize alcohol faster than men, which means that they recover from drinking alcohol at a faster rate.
Although that’s the case, it doesn’t mean women should drink more. In fact, women have been shown to develop an alcohol-induced liver disease over less time when drinking less alcohol as a result of the alcohol being processed primarily through the liver. The cause of this is linked to estrogen, though the full reason does not appear to be understood.
Are women more likely to get into a crash while driving drunk?
No, it’s actually the opposite. Women take fewer risks in general, which means that they are less likely to drive after drinking. They are also less likely to be involved in fatal alcohol-related crashes. Studies have also shown that the way alcohol affects the performance of driving tasks may vary based on gender as well.
Despite the fact that women are less likely to drive while drunk, they are more likely to be killed if they are involved in a fatal crash. For this reason, it’s very important for women to avoid drinking and driving, since the likelihood of injury is higher for them than for men under the same circumstances.
Alcohol affects everyone differently, even though these statistics generalize based on gender. Male or female, it’s your responsibility to know how alcohol affects you and your ability to drive. If you are not certain that you can drive safely, then it is important to get a hotel room, catch a ride with a friend or avoid drinking. It could help save your life and prevent a DWI charge.