New research released on alcohol and sexual health
Warwickshire’s Respect Yourself Campaign believes new national research released today goes someway to proving that drinking too much alcohol can and does influence sexual decision-making.
It was commissioned by the fpa (family planning association) as part of their national campaign called Sexual Health Week (14 to 20 September), which this year has the theme ‘One too many’.
One thousand and two people aged between 18 and 30, who had past experience of both alcohol and sex, were surveyed online by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the fpa.
Of those, more than a third (37 per cent) said they had ‘had sex with a new partner without using a condom’ and 40 per cent of those said that alcohol was a factor (either a great deal or fair amount) in what happened1.
The survey also found that almost three quarters of the 38 per cent of respondents who said they had ‘taken part in sexual activity with someone and then regretted it later’ believed alcohol was a factor in what happened.
And over a quarter of all respondents (28 per cent) had sex with someone they wouldn’t normally find attractive, with 73 per cent of those giving alcohol as a factor.
Last Christmas, Warwickshire County Council’s Respect Yourself Campaign ran a similar campaign highlighting the sexual health risks and consequences of drinking too much.
Jenny Whateley, Warwickshire’s Respect Yourself Campaign Co-ordinator, welcomes the research: “The results of this national survey help strengthen our message about staying in control of your actions when it comes to alcohol and sexual health.
“We know people don’t necessarily go out to take risks but when lots of alcohol is consumed it can blur your decision-making ability, potentially leading you in to tricky situations such as unprotected or regrettable sex and the chance of an unplanned pregnancy or a Sexually Transmitted Infection.
“Although we obviously want people to go out and have fun, we’re simply saying think about what you’re doing.”
To find out more about the Respect Yourself Campaign, visit http://www.respectyourself.info.