In order to understand how boys and girls can move from similar patterns of experimentation in adolescence to such differing rates of AUDs in adulthood, it is important to take a developmental approach. While normal patterns of experimental use with alcohol may be similar for male and female adolescents, as boys enter into early adulthood, their repeated use increases and places them at greater risk for abuse or dependence. Conversely, the manifestation of symptoms and alcohol-related consequences experienced by girls may serve a protective function that carries into adulthood. The diverging patterns of alcohol involvement and consequences for men and women signify a need for examining these trajectories separately.
