Sex Differences in Addict Careers. 3. Addiction

Abstract

Abstract

The process and correlates of addiction prior to treatment are examined for a sample of 546 women and men methadone maintenance clients. Narcotic addiction careers for women (defined both as from first daily use to first treatment intervention, and from first daily use to last daily use of heroin) were shorter than those for men, and women entered treatment earlier. However, the narcotic drug use patterns for women were not substantially different from those for men (including mean percentage of time using, number of times abstinent, number of relapses, and so forth). Narcotics use for many women was influenced by a spouse or partner, but some also reported increased use for hedonistic reasons. Criminal behaviors increased for both women and men after addiction, and the major sex difference was the type of crime committed. Differences for women and men for employment, welfare, and interpersonal relationships reflected patterns found in the larger society.

SUMMARY

In summary, women in our sample tended to be older or the same age as men when they began daily use of nonmedical drugs. On the average, women's narcotic addiction careers (defined as first daily use to last daily use of heroin) were shorter than men's, and women entered treatment earlier. However, during the period of addiction before treatment, the narcotic drug use patterns for women (such as mean percentage of time using, number of times abstinent, number of relapses) were not much different from those of men. The only exceptions were that, in terms of longest abstinent period and longest run of daily use, men tended to have longer periods of both, especially Chicanos. These differences are contrary to most previous research findings, but may be related to the mean difference in the overall length of the addicted period investigated.

It was found that female addicts were highly influenced by their partners. Many women began daily use and/or increased their use because their spouses or partners were using. On the other hand, like male addicts, some women also started using heroin just because they liked it. Traditional explanations of drug use by women such as personal/family crises, which have often been assumed to be the cause of addiction in women, were not supported by the data in this study.

The sex differences found in this study for interpersonal relationships, other substance use, drug dealing, and legal income were similar to findings reported in the previous papers [1, 2]. In the areas of legal status and criminal behavior, Anglo women were still the least likely of all the groups in the study to have been entangled in the criminal justice system, yet more likely to report having engaged in prostitution. Chicanas, on the other hand, closely mimic the criminal behavior and legal involvement patterns of their male counterparts.