Safety First is Essential When Combining Alcohol and Sex

Alcohol can affect your behaviour, lower your inhibitions and lead you into situations you might not normally get into. That makes alcohol and sex a potentially dangerous combination for young people who might be tempted into having sex when under the influence and later regret the experience.

Here are 7 safety tips to follow so you can enjoy a drink safely without waking up next morning wondering what you did.

1. Stay with your friends, whether you’re at a party, a club or a bar. Sticking together means you can all protect each other from any risky behaviour or possible dangers. Monitor your alcohol intake and do the same for your chums, ensuring no one in the group is drinking to excess and getting out of control.
2. Don’t leave your drinks unattended and never accept a drink from someone you don’t know – you have no idea of their motives nor do you know if they have slipped any drugs into the glass.
3. Where possible, stay in a group – young people, male and female, gay or straight, can be the victim of a sexual or physical assault when they are under the influence and unable to protect themselves against an attacker.
4. Plan your route home and make sure you leave in time to catch the last train or bus. If it’s later than that, have the number of a licensed taxi firm programmed into your phone so you can arrange to be picked up. Don’t ever get into an unlicensed cab or accept a lift home from someone you don’t know.
5. If you are thinking about having sex with your boyfriend or girlfriend, make that decision while you’re still sober and talk frankly with him or her about what might happen.
6. Precautions are essential – carry condoms or if you’re using some other form of contraception, make sure you’ve taken it or prepared properly. Condoms are the only form of contraception that will protect you against pregnancy and also against sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia.
7. Know what emergency action you can take if you have unprotected sex Alcohol can affect both your judgment and your physical state. Under the influence, you might be persuaded to have unprotected sex. And if you drink too much, you might get sick and contraception such as the pill may not be effective. You should know what emergency action to take in such a situation – go to your doctor or sexual health clinic for the morning-after pill, which can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex.