Women and MDMA: particularities of gender and sex.
International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England) January 1, 2023 Fabio Carezzato, Ilana Falcão de Arruda, Caio Petrus Monteiro Figueiredo et al. 4 citations
Gender and sex differences shape how people use MDMA and how it affects them. Women often use MDMA to cope with negative emotions or self-medicate after traumatic life events, while men are more likely to start using due to peer pressure or sensation-seeking. Women report greater anxiety, adverse effects, and negative side effects from MDMA, and they face higher risks of sexually transmitted infections because of altered mental states and reduced condom use. Women may be more susceptible to hyponatremia but less vulnerable to MDMA-induced hyperthermia. Prenatal MDMA exposure may cause motor delays in infants. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating PTSD, especially in female subgroups. More research is needed to develop tailored treatments.