Women and Substance Abuse: The Role of Gender in Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is a complex phenomenon that depends on several factors. Due to the complicated roles of women relative to men in society, substance abuse contributes more difficulties and challenges for women rather than men. Therefore, the present paper aims to review previous studies concerning substance abuse in women. The research methods were reading the published papers and note-taking. Review of previous papers shows that substance abuse has growth rapidly in women. Substance abuse patterns and the factors contributing to the tendency of substance abuse in women are not similar to the substance abuse patterns in men. Women and girls who are substance abusers suffer from negative consequences compared to their male counterparts, because of the severity of stigma and discrimination towards substance abuse in women. The process of treatment in women is more difficult than men due to the physical characteristics, family support, and spousal support. Increasing knowledge of citizens about female substance abusers (using media to alleviate stigmatization), increasing the number of health centers, supporting and hiring of women treated, and performing preventive programs for women treated are suggested to alleviate stigmatization of substance abuse in women.