Female Adult

Abstract

Women have a greater risk of harm to health arising from alcohol use than men at all levels of alcohol consumption including when intoxicated and have specific health needs related to gender and especially during pregnancy, which require exploration and consideration across the assessment, care planning and delivery of care process to facilitate women’s engagement and retention in treatment. Women may also be living with psychosocial vulnerabilities including those related to past trauma, multiple losses, domestic violence, homelessness, underemployment and family and childcare issues, which can be a source of significant stress which can impact negatively on the recovery process and treatment outcomes. While competent and ethical assessment and care is required of all health professionals, all too often, women living with alcohol use problems are stigmatised and denied compassionate, evidence-based competent care, which results in further traumatisation, loss to treatment and further harm. This chapter discussed care processes and the ethical issues, which arise when providing care, their impact and strategies to resolve them.