Alcohol

There’s a strong link between sex and alcohol in our culture.  Whether you are a young man or a young woman, straight or gay, lots of people use alcohol to ‘loosen up’  before having sex.

But the reality is that sometimes people drink so much that they can't remember whether they have had sex (even if they did want to) and, in some cases, people are unsure whether they consented to sex because they cannot remember. In really serious cases, people can get into unsafe situations and are sexually assaulted or raped.

Young people often come under a lot of pressure to drink and will have to face tough choices about drinking - whether to drink, how much to drink and how to know when enough is enough. You might find that knowing more about sex and alcohol will help you to make some of those choices safely.

How alcohol works

Quite often people feel more relaxed and less inhibited when they've been drinking alcohol. That relaxation means that a very small amount of alcohol can make people feel sexual desire and excited. But if you drink too much, the depressant effects become too strong and:

• your ability to think clearly will reduce and you will tend to take more risks;
• you won't be quite so careful about how and when you have sex with someone;
• you will be less likely to use contraception and condoms if you have sex and
• you are more likely to regret sex.
  

After drinking alcohol:

• one in seven 16-to-24-year-olds have had unprotected sex.
• one in five have had sex that they regretted.
• one in 10 have been unable to remember if they had sex the night before
• 60 % of young women who are infected with a sexually transmitted infection say they were under the influence of alcohol when they had sex with the infected person.

If you mix sex with alcohol, you increase the chances of unintended pregnancy and getting an STI. Simply because if you have sex when you are drunk, you are much less likely to be thinking clearly about using a condom.

Consenting to sex

It's against the law to have sex with a person who is incapacitated due to the use of alcohol. That can mean someone who is ‘completely out of it’ie. passed out or just too drunk to think clearly.

Tips for staying safe

Look after your friends

If you are going out and know that you are going to be drinking, make sure one of your friends is going to stay sober for the night. Whether or not you are driving to where you are going, it's a good idea for one person that you trust to stay sober so they can help everyone stay safe.

Watch your drinks

If you are going to put your drink down, only leave it with someone you know very well who you can trust to look after it reliably. Don't leave your drink unattended and don't take drinks from people you don't know. It's usually best to stick to drinks where you can see what you're drinking. You can't see what's gone into cocktails and you may end up drinking more alcohol than you bargained for.

Wait to make big decisions until you’re sober

If you are going out partying with your boyfriend or girlfriend, or you meet someone new, talk about what boundaries you feel comfortable with before you start drinking.

Know how you will get home

If we drink too much, we're more likely to take risks with our safety - for example walking down unsafe streets or accepting lifts you wouldn't normally take. Walking home alone or accepting lifts from people you don't know increase your risk of sexual assault.

Know who you will call if you need help

Every now and again, things will go wrong, and you need to know who you can call for help if you need it. It can be scary to call a parent or carer and admit you are drunk and need help, but even if they're angry they will want to make sure you are safe.