Drunk-sex risks future rape for young women
A new research warns women against having their first sexual experience while drunk, as they are more at risk of rape in the future.
Nearly 20% of the young women who lost their virginity while drunk reported their first intercourse experiences were without consent, or rape. These young women were found to be three times more likely to be victims of incapacitated rape in the future.
Jennifer A. Livingston, PhD, senior research scientist at the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), surveyed 228 women, ages 18 to 20, about their sexual experiences and drinking habits. The average age the women began drinking was 14 and the average age for first sexual intercourse was 16.
Livingston found that first sexual experiences involving alcohol were most likely hook-ups in parties. Alcohol-involved first experiences were less planned, less desired and rated more negatively than those not involving alcohol, which usually occurred in the context of a romantic relationship.
“Drinking to intoxication places adolescent females at increased risk through exposure to high-risk sexual partners found in drinking contexts such as parties. These partners may be significantly older, more aggressive, not well-known or substance users themselves,” Livingston says. “Over time, these young women continued to use alcohol in conjunction with sex, which further exposed them to high-risk partners. In these contexts, there is less discussion of birth control and greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases, sexual assault and unintended pregnancy.”
Livingston says this study raises questions about how schools and parents approach talking about drinking and sex. “Traditionally, substance use prevention efforts and sexuality education aimed at middle and high school students have been approached separately,” Livingston says. “Results of this study suggest that it would be beneficial to combine the two. Alcohol-related risks should be addressed in sexuality education and sexual risks included in substance use prevention. Interventions aimed at delaying the initiation of alcohol use or reducing heavy drinking may have the added benefit of reducing risky sexual behavior.”
