Gender and synthetic drugs
Since the beginning of the millennium, a range of synthetic drugs have drawn increasing attention and have proliferated in drug markets often displacing traditional drugs. Compared with traditional drug the gender gap in the use of most synthetic drugs is less pronounced. Also, there are significant gender differences in the initiation, pathway for the development of harmful use and drug use disorder for synthetic drugs, the social and health consequences, some of which are more pronounced for women, and access and utilization of drug services.
The information presented is based on analysis of data from the UNODC Annual Reports Questionnaire, interviews of key informants in many countries and review of the published scientific literature that was published in the UNODC's World Drug Report 2024.
Based on estimated prevalence of drug use among men and women, nearly a third of people who use cannabis, cocaine or heroin are women. Conversely the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs, sedatives and tranquilizers and stimulants, and amphetamines the prevalence reported for women are nearly similar to those for men. The gender differences in initation and motivation to continue to use drugs in general and syntheric drugs in particular also vary. The motives to use synthetic drugs may vary from self-medication to dealing with pain, anxiety (in the case of pharmaceutical opioids) to boost physical energy, weight loss and performance among the myriad of reasons, which apparently are more valid for women than men using synthetic drugs. Externalizing behaviours, as well as parental substance use, and deviant peer affiliations are among the strongest predictors of initiation and harmfuul use later as adults of many syntheric drugs. Same sex peers are considered more of a risk factor for men than women during adolescence, while romantic partners or intimate partners using drugs increase risk for women in this pathway. Studies have shown a higher propensity of exposure to multiple adverse childhood experiences, as internalizing or externalizing symptoms, for women than men and association with initiation, harmful use and dependence and psychiatric comorbities among people who in particualr use synthetic drugs. Women who use drugs tend to increase the amount of consumption of drugs (e.g, opioids or amphetamines) more rapidly than men, showing an accelerated onset of substance use disorders and severity of symptoms presented in treatment. Physical abuse, including intimate partner violence, followed by sexual abuse and coerced sex and increased vulnerability to HIV and other STI is a common feature of women using synthetic drugs.
While access and availability to drug treatment services remain low for people who use drugs, women face disproportionately more barriers and stigma in accessing harm reduction drug treatment services. There is need to develop gender specific and tailoerd prevention and treatment interventions for people who use synthetic drugs.
