adverts

Many women use and depend on drugs. People take drugs for a variety of reasons. You might feel bad about yourself because you are using drugs. But remember you are still a woman, a daughter, a sister, a mother, a human being * you are a worthwhile person who deserves respect. Some women use drugs as a coping strategy during particularly stressful times in their lives. Students often find themselves under immense pressures and drugs are often used as a form of escapism. It is worth bearing in mind that the relief offered by drugs is short term and will not make the real problems go away… it may be beneficial to explore less destructive ways of coping with the pressures you are under. Many women students rely on drugs such as cannabis or alcohol to help them 'unwind' after hard study sessions, however, in the long term this could be affecting your academic performance as your concentration and memory capacity can be altered.

This section is not designed to tell you what to do and it may be that you are not in a position where you feel ready to stop using drugs. However, taking drugs will always be a risk and can be very harmful. There are ways to cut down these risks and make them less harmful. This section has been written to give you information about drug use and how it affects you as a woman. You can decide what, if anything, you want to change about your drug use or other things in your life.

There are many different kinds of drugs, with a variety of different effects.

Opiates, stimulants, tranquillisers etc, can all affect you in different ways. Some drugs have side effects that alter your appetites or bodily functions. Many women find that using drugs such as ecstasy (MDMA) or speed (amphetamines) can result in a loss of appetite and consequently weight loss. Because of this your periods may come less often or stop altogether. This doesn't mean you can't get pregnant so keep using contraception.

Ecstasy raises your body temperature. Remember to regularly sip fluids (not too much and definitely not alcohol) to avoid heatstroke. Women are more at risk from heatstroke than men because women have different water/fat ratio in their body. If you are diabetic or asthmatic risks are increased. Using Ecstasy can cause depression. Remember you can't be sure what you're buying so be careful.

If you are an injecting drug user then you should be particularly aware of the risks associated with needles and works. Always ensure that you use clean needles and your own works. Do not share. Injecting drugs can carry high risks of serious infections such as hepatitis and HIV.

Many women who use drugs are concerned about the effects that their drug use can have on their children both before and after birth. Most drug users do not have problems either throughout their pregnancy or at birth and their babies are healthy, although they may have withdrawal symptoms when born. Other factors that may affect your health or the health of your baby including your diet, housing, smoking and non-attendance at medical/antenatal care. Some women who discover they are pregnant, whether they are drug users or not, decide that at this stage in their lives they do not want to continue with a pregnancy. If this applies to you then you can gain more information in the sections on pregnancy and abortion. If you want to stop using while you are pregnant then you will need advice on the best way to do this, speak with a drug worker, midwife, health worker or GP. Don't try it on your own.

Help is at hand

If you want information on how to cut down on your drug use or how to stop all together then there is plenty of support networks available to you. Firstly you will need the support of those around you, friends or family. Contact your GP, or the National Drugs Helpline * 0800 77 66 00 or www.ndh.org.uk for information advice and further contacts.