Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and interferes with sexual situations. At best, deciding to sleep with someone while you're under the influence can put you in an embarrassing predicament the next morning. At worst, it can cause you to be the victim of sexual assault or leave you with a STD. Have a plan, to prevent yourself from getting into sexual jeopardy every time you drink.

Startling facts about having sex under the influence:

• As many as 70% of college students admit to having engaged in sexual activity primarily as a result of being under the influence of alcohol, or to having sex they wouldn't have had if they had been sober.
• 90% of all campus rapes occur when alcohol has been used by either the assailant or the victim.
• At least one out of five college students abandons safe sex practices when they're drunk, even if they do protect themselves when they're sober.
• One in twelve college males admit to having committed acts that meet the legal definition of rape or acquaintance rape.
• 55% of female students and 75% of male students involved in acquaintance rape admit to having been drinking or using drugs when the incident occurred.
• 60% of college women who are infected with STDs, including genital herpes and AIDS, report that they were under the influence of alcohol at the time they had intercourse with the infected person.
• Female college freshman are at the highest risk for sexual assault between the first day of school and Thanksgiving break.
• According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 1500 college students is HIV positive, and the fastest-growing populations of American people infected with HIV are teenagers and young adults.
• Almost 50% of unplanned sexual encounters are under the influence of alcohol!
• 80% of first sexual experiences occur under the influence of alcohol!
• By senior year, 81% of students have had sex because they were drunk.
• College students who mix alcohol and sex report having more partners whom they know only "slightly" or "moderately."
• Chronic or continuous drinking, even in college students, destroys testosterone in males, causes withering of the testicles, enlargement of male breasts, loss of hair, and impotence.
• Large doses of alcohol in females may cause lack of lubrication or orgasm. In males, it can cause difficulties in achieving or maintaining erections.

Tactics to use to avoid getting involved in a dangerous sexual situation:

• Know your limits, avoid drinking too much. Alcohol impairs your ability to make smart choices.
• Talk to your date beforehand to make sure you are on the same page about where the night is going.
• Don't go back to someone's room or leave a party with someone you don't know well.
• Trust your gut. if you feel at all uncomfortable, get out of the situation.
• When going on a date with someone new, make sure to tell a friend what your plans are so that someone knows where you will be.
• Take a self-defense class. That way, you will know what to do if things get too physical.

"Date-Rape Drugs"

You've heard about them on the news--young women being sexually assaulted after drugs have been slipped into their drinks. What exactly are "Roofies" and GHB? And how can you protect yourself?

What are they? Rohypnol, known on the street as "Roofies," and Gamma hydroxy butryic acid, known as GHB or liquid ecstasy, are depressants that can cause dizziness, disorientation, loss of inhibition, memory blackouts, and loss of consciousness when mixed with alcohol. Both are odorless, colorless, and tasteless, so you may not even realize it if someone slips one of these substances into your drink. Because they may cause you to pass out, ingesting them may put you at risk for sexual assault. Women are not alone. Men, especially those on vacation have also been drugged and raped. Any man who believes "this does not apply to me" is being naïve.

How can you protect yourself?

• Don't put your drink down. If your drink is out of sight, even for a few minutes, don't finish it. Get yourself a new one.
• Don't accept an open drink from anyone. If you order a drink in a bar, make sure you watch the bartender open the bottle or mix your drink.
• Avoid punch bowls. With Roofies and GHB in circulation, you can't be sure what's in the punch, so think twice before you partake.
• Make a pact with your friends to watch out for each other, and spread the word about these "Date-rape drugs" to everyone you know.

If you think you may have been given Roofies or GHB, immediately go to the emergency room and ask for a urine-screening test. Though traces of the drug may still appear up to 72 hours after ingestion (depending on dosage and individual metabolism) the chances of getting proof are best when the sample is obtained quickly. Therefore, in the event that you are sexually assaulted after you were unknowingly given one of these drugs, the results of this test could provide incriminating evidence against your attacker.

Legal Responsibilities

Legally speaking, for two people to have sex, you've both got to agree to it. That’s called consent: a voluntary, verbal, positive affirmation that you both want to have sex. Problem is, things get hazy if either you or your partner is drunk. So keep these points in mind if you're drunk;

• Consent is not just the absence of the word "no." So ask your partner if he or she wants to have sex. No answer means "no."
• Even if you hear the word, "yes," explicit consent may not be considered legally established. If you've been drinking, any sexual activity will still be considered assault in some states.
• Remember you or your partner can change "yes" to "no" at any time.
• If someone is passed out, he or she can't give his or her consent. If you have sex with this person, you will be committing sexual assault. Period.
• Don't think you can claim you were drunk and didn't know what you were doing if you commit an act of sexual assault. You will be held accountable for your conduct.

Source: Factsontap.org