The Use of Alcohol by Lesbians: A Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on alcohol use by lesbians. Comparisons of data on lesbians and women from the general population show that lesbians tend to drink more than other women; that rates of drinking do not decline with age as is true for general population women; and that even when levels of drinking are equivalent between lesbians and general population women, lesbians report greater difficulties related to alcohol consumption. Differences in sampling techniques and differences in definitions of drinking among the papers made comparisons of results difficult. These issues are discussed and recommendations are made concerning standardization of data collection.

Key Words:

• Lesbian
• Alcohol
• “Moderate drinkers”
• “Heavy drinkers”