Do women expose themselves to more health-related risks in certain phases of the menstrual cycle? A meta-analytic review

Alcohol drinking patterns and occurrence of genital warts among Danish adolescents

BACKGROUND

Under the influence of alcohol adolescents are more prone to engage in unprotected sex, which increases the risk of acquiring genital warts. The study aim was to examine whether alcohol consumption among adolescents is associated with acquiring genital warts.

METHODS

Health behavior data were extracted from the Danish National Youth Study 2014. Complete data were available for 63,648 students. Number of binge drinking episodes in the past 30 days, frequency of drinking on weekends and total number of drinks consumed during 7-day week were collected by a questionnaire. Information on genital warts for the period between filling the questionnaire in 2014 and December 31, 2018 was retrieved from the Danish National Prescription Register and Danish National Patient Register.

RESULTS

Adjusted analysis showed that, compared to students who did not drink alcohol, increasing frequency of binge drinking in the past 30 days was independently associated with greater hazard of acquiring genital warts (1-3 times hazard ratio [HR]: 1.36, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.69; 4-6 times HR: 1.55, 95 % CI: 1.22-1.96; >6 times HR: 1.84, 95 % CI 1.39-2.45). Compared to students who did not drink alcohol, consistent alcohol drinking every weekend was associated with greater risk of developing genital warts (HR: 1.62, 95 % CI: 1.20-2.17). Total weekly number of alcohol drinks consumed was not associated with occurrence of genital warts.

CONCLUSION

Increased alcohol intake was associated with occurrence of genital warts over 4 year of follow-up. There is an urgent need for change of excessive alcohol intake tendencies among adolescents.

Menstrual Cycle Phase, Hormonal Contraception, and Alcohol Consumption in Premenopausal Females: A Systematic Review

Women may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol harm, but many current theories fail to acknowledge the unique factors that influence female alcohol use. The biological mechanisms underlying female alcohol consumption have largely been unexplored, although recently the menstrual cycle has been highlighted as a potentially important factor. This systematic review, using a narrative synthesis, examined the association between the menstrual cycle phases on alcohol consumption and aimed to determine whether hormonal contraception influences this association. The review follows PRISMA and SWiM guidelines, registration number: CRD42018112744. Electronic searches were conducted in the relevant databases with keyword (e.g., "menstrua*"; "alcohol"). Thousand six hundred and sixty-two titles were identified, 16 of which were included in the review. Results were inconsistent regarding whether an association between menstrual cycle phase and alcohol consumption was found. Furthermore, there was inconsistency regarding which phase was associated with higher consumption, and different factors were reported to have moderated the direction, e.g., family history of alcohol use disorder (AUD), premenstrual syndrome (PMS). These conflicting results may be partly explained by variability in both study quality and design, and differences in measurement of cycle phase and alcohol consumption. More robust research is needed before conclusions can be drawn with regard to the role of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception on female drinking behavior. This review provides recommendations to strengthen research in this area.