Do women get drunk on alcohol faster than men?

Is there something worrying you? Today, our experts answer your questions.

Questions answered by: Dr. Gonza Andabati, a gynaecologist at Mulago Hospital and Peterson Kikomeko, an assistant lecturer at the department of Home Economics and Human nutrition at Kyambogo University.

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Do women get drunk on alcohol faster than men?

Question: Dear Doctor, Whenever I go out with my husband, I get drunk after drinking just three beers. However, he can drink up to eight bottles of beer and still manage to drive us home. Do I have a problem or do women generally get drunk faster than men? What is the recommended amount of alcohol a person can drink on a night out? Linda


Response: Dear Linda, The body metabolises alcohol in two different ways depending on the frequency and amount of alcoholic consumption. Some people, like yourself, get drunk after taking low levels of alcohol, for example after just two bottles, whereas others, like your husband, can take high amounts of alcohol and not get drunk.

This could be due to the fact that for chronic or heavy drinkers, the body gets used to the alcohol and finds a way of breaking it down faster. Therefore such people may need to drink high quantities of alcohol to get drunk. For those who get drunk more easily, their bodies lack adaptability. The different between the two of you could be that your husband’s body has adapted to alcohol, while yours has not.

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I have failed to conceive
 

Question:  Dear Doctor, I am a 32-year-old woman. My problem is that I have failed to conceive. I went to hospital for check-up and I was told that my tubes were blocked. However, they did not give me any treatment. What can I do? I really need a baby for the sake of my marriage. Tilda


Response:  Dear Tilda, Blocked fallopian tubes are the leading cause of infertility among women in the country. Depending on the extent of the blockage and the part of the tube where it happened, there are a number of treatment options that you can undergo. If the blockage is mild, tube flushing can be recommended. But if the blockage resulted from scars around the tubes, then surgery is needed.

Surgery can effectively be done using the laparoscopy (key-hole method). However, severe cases of blockage may not respond to those forms of treatment and may require invitro fertilisation (IVF). You need to first have your condition evaluated by a specialist who will advise you on the appropriate means of treatment.

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Are light-skinned women prone to over-bleeding?

Question:  Dear Doctor, Is it true that light-skinned women are more prone to over-bleeding after child birth than the dark-skinned ones? Flavia


Response:  Dear Flavia, It is not true that light-skinned women are at a higher risk of over-bleeding after child birth than the dark-skinned ones because there is no scientific evidence supporting it. Over-bleeding after child birth – which is referred to as postpartum haemorrhage – can occur to any woman regardless of her skin colour.

 It is caused by several factors, but the commonest cause is when the womb fails to contract to control bleeding. This may happen after a women has experienced difficult labour or it may be due to tearing of the uterus. Sometimes, it is caused by failure of a woman’s blood to clot.

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Is stale meat easier to digest?
 

Question:  Dear Doctor, I once heard that it is better to keep meat unrefrigerated for about one day before cooking it. I was told such meat is easier to digest because it has already been worked on by bacteria. Is this true? Lucy


Response:  Dear Lucy, It is better to eat meat when it is still fresh. Meat gets spoilt when kept unrefrigerated and such meat is not recommended for consumption. If you do not intend to cook meat immediately, then it is recommended that you keep it in refrigerator. If you do not have a fridge, you can salt and smoke the meat to stop bacteria from invading it and spoiling it.