The Effects of Alcohol Use on College Women

Alcohol consumption is highly prevalent in colleges in the United States. According to the University of North Florida, 83 percent of all college students drink alcohol. Even though males make up the greater part of this percentage, there are female college students that drink alcohol and are exposed to the effects of alcohol use.

Risky Behavior

• Female college students that drink alcohol are more likely to engage in unprotected and unintended sexual activity than those that don't drink. According to collegedrinkingprevention.gov, 400,000 students between 18 and 24 years of age, have had unprotected sex. Of this same age group, 100,000 students didn't know whether they had consented to have sex because they were too intoxicated at the time. Alcohol has a disinhibiting effect, making students engage in casual sex without prior discussions of the risks involved. Female students can end up with sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies. Drunk driving is another form of risky behavior. Men are more likely to step behind the wheel when intoxicated, but women are at a relative higher risk of driver fatality even if they have the same blood alcohol level as men. They are smaller built, so the effects of alcohol are stronger.

Sexual Assault

• Drinking in college can lead to sexual assault, regardless whether it is the victim or perpetrator doing the drinking. According to collegedrinkingprevention.gov, female victimization is more common amongst female college students that are heavy drinkers. College men may perceive women who drink as being sexually promiscuous and easy targets. The use of alcohol diminishes the female student's ability to resist assault. Under the influence, the perpetrator's perception of reality is impaired, and he may think that the victim wants to have sex. Alcohol-using female college students are also more likely to become victims of date rape.

Health Issues

• College women that consume alcohol can suffer from many long-term and immediate health issues. Aside from injuries from possible car accidents, memory loss and sexually transmitted diseases, they can develop alcohol-induced liver or brain disease. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, these diseases are more likely in women that are moderate to heavy alcohol users. College women that drink alcohol are also at an increased risk for heart disease and breast cancer.

Dependency

• An alcohol dependency can start forming in a female college student, especially if she has a family history of alcohol use. The female will often find herself craving more and more alcohol to get a pleasurable response. The strong urge to drink is overwhelming, and she starts missing classes due to her alcohol use. The things that were once important fall second to alcohol.