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Alcohol Use and Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health

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Handbook of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health

Part of the book series: Issues in Women’s Health ((WOHI))

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Abstract

Recently, over the past 20 years, women’s alcohol use and abuse and associated adverse health-related consequences received widespread scientific study. Early myths perpetuated the notion that alcohol problems and alcoholism were principally domains of difficulty for men, and that heavy drinking characterized only a small minority of women. Furthermore, sexual promiscuity and moral corruption were viewed as prominent characteristics among this heavy-drinking female minority, and hence there were few efforts directed toward public health resources and scientific studies to a perceived unsavory minority. Recent research and theoretical perspectives have radically altered this outlook with regard to perceptions of and knowledge about women’s alcohol use practices and associated health problems (e.g., Plant, 1997; Wilsnack, Plaud, Wilsnack, & Klassen, 1997a).

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294-1170, USA

    Michael Windle & Rebecca C. Windle

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  1. Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Gina M. Wingood ScD, MPH  & Ralph J. DiClemente PhD  & 

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Windle, M., Windle, R.C. (2002). Alcohol Use and Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health. In: Wingood, G.M., DiClemente, R.J. (eds) Handbook of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health. Issues in Women’s Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0689-8_9

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