Alcoholism in women. More common--and serious--than you might think

Rising rates of alcohol use disorders and disproportionate medical complications in alcoholic women, plus the dire consequences to their fetuses and children, suggest the need for increased attention to this problem in medical practice. Direct, systematic inquiry about drinking patterns is the most practical and efficient way to detect cases of alcoholism. The potential dangers of prescribing abusable psychoactive drugs for alcoholic women, because of their greater demand or apparent need for these agents, should dictate attention to alcohol use in all medical practice settings.