Did you know . . .

• 80% of college students' first sexual experiences occur under the influence of alcohol.
• By their senior year, 80% of college students have had sex because they were drunk.
• 20% of college students abandon safer sex practices when they're drunk, even if they do protect themselves when they're sober.
• Almost 50% of unplanned sexual encounters occur under the influence of alcohol.
• In 67% of unintended pregnancies, the woman was intoxicated during sex.
• 60% of college women who have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), including HIV/AIDS, report that they were under the influence of alcohol at the time they had intercourse with the infected person.
• 90% of campus rapes occur when alcohol has been used by either the assailant or the victim.

Sex and alcohol

Alcohol can make sex more fun if it's not overdone. Moderate use relaxes you and reduces your inhibitions so you're less likely to worry about what you look like, how much noise you make, or what people might think of you. Alcohol also affects your decision making, so you're more likely to have sex with someone you normally wouldn't think twice about. When you're drunk, you're much less likely to think about using condoms and worry about pregnancy and STIs.

Women and Alcohol

All women should be aware that alcohol affects women differently than men. Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men, so they generally have higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood than men after consuming the same amount. Women may also be more at risk for organ damage caused by alcohol consumption.

Date rape

Numerous drugs have been used to victimize both men and women. Alcohol is the number one date rape drug. Other drugs include GHB, rohypnol (roofies), and others. These drugs can be put into someone's drink with out their knowledge, causing extreme intoxication, blackouts, and passing out. Here are some tips to help protect you:

• NEVER leave your drink unattended, even for a second.
• Don't accept a drink from someone you don't know or trust.
• If someone buys you a drink, go up to the bar and watch the bartender make it.
• Use the "buddy system." Go out with a friend you trust and periodically check up with each other. Don't leave without your buddy.
• Know your limit, and drink safely and responsibly.