Family Planning says a new ALAC advertisement suggesting a sexual assault after binge-drinking highlights one of the realities of “drunk sex”.
For many people, the morning after the night before is a blur. Family Planning clinics are reporting increased incidents of people seeking help because they have had or may have had “drunk sex” - they can’t remember if they’ve had sex or who they had it with, can’t remember if they used a condom, or have made decisions they might not have made if they’d been sober
“We all know that alcohol blurs people’s decision making capacity and can make people feel invincible,” Family Planning Chief Executive Jackie Edmond says. “There are a number of studies about the effects of alcohol, including one from the ESR which shows that alcohol is the number one date rape drug, which confirm what we’re seeing in clinics each day. We know that people’s behaviour changes when they’ve been drinking to excess and their sense of self-safety are diminished by alcohol as their sense of confidence and inhibition grows. It’s this cocktail of attitude change that can put people at risk of unsafe sex or sexual assault.
“We hope these ALAC advertisements will prompt New Zealanders to reflect on their own drinking and especially for parents and adults to model appropriate behaviour. Societal attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol consumption need to change and we all have a part to play in making that change happen.”
Ms Edmond is encouraging people to make an appointment at their nearest Family Planning Clinic if they are concerned about having had unprotected sex.
“Emergency contraception, sometimes wrongly called the morning after pill, can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. Family Planning clinicians can also test and prescribe treatment for sexually transmissible infections,” she says. “Early treatment is best and it can stop people worrying unnecessarily.”
Some simple steps to prevent “drunk sex”:
· Limit the amount of alcohol consumed in a session
· Stay with your group of friends
· Make sure someone knows where you are
· Have a designated sober friend
· Have confirmed plans to get home – this could include money for a bus or taxi or having a designated sober driver