Alcohol-fuelled sex leading to STIs and pregnancy
The charity hopes to encourage greater public recognition that alcohol "can and does influence sexual decision making"
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Thursday, 17, Sep 2009 12:03
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
Alcohol and sex are a dangerous combination leading to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STI), a campaign is warning.
Sexual health charity, the Family Planning Association (fpa), have launched a campaign to warn people to enjoy sex responsibly, coinciding with the release of their research.
The results from an online survey by Ipsos MORI, on behalf of fpa, found 37 per cent of people admitted they had had sex with a new partner without using a condom, and of this amount 40 per cent said alcohol had been a factor in what had happened.
The charity hopes to encourage greater public recognition that alcohol can and does influence sexual decision making, and as part of their campaign, fpa will be distributing bold posters across the UK.
Julie Bentley chief executive of fpa said: "People don't go out to take risks, they go out to have a good time. People may start with the best intentions, but drinking alcohol reduces the chances of using a condom with someone new and impairs sexual decision making.
"fpa isn't here to tell people how much they should or shouldn't drink. Our point is that you're more likely to take chances with your sexual health if you've drunk alcohol."
The survey, released today, of 1,002 people aged between 18 and 30, found 38 per cent of all respondents said 'I have taken part in sexual activity with someone and then regretted it later', and staggering 70 per cent of these said alcohol was a factor in what happened.
The survey also found people were more likely to sleep with someone they didn't find attractive when they had been drinking alcohol.
Among the group who had not used a condom with a new partner and said they thought alcohol was a factor in the decision (15 per cent of all respondents in total), one in eight (13 per cent) reported on at least one occasion they or the person they had sex with became pregnant, unplanned. Another seven per cent of them said that they had contracted a STI.
Some 83 per cent surveyed agreed with the statement: 'In general people are less likely to use a condom or other contraception when they have sex if they have been drinking alcohol'. However, only 40 per cent agreed that: 'I am less likely to use a condom or other contraception when I have sex if I have been drinking alcohol'.
"Drunken sex is often risky sex. Don't let one night of fun end in regret," concluded Ms Bentley.