Blame it on the vodka
Blame it on the henney
Blame it on the blue top got you feeling dizzy
Blame it on al al al al alcohol (blame it on al al al alcohol)
-lyrics to Blame it on the Alcohol by Jamie Foxx
It is New Year’s Eve. Maybe you have plans to go out with your friends to go to a party or meet up in a club. You have been partying all night. After all it is New Year’s Eve. You meet someone during the evening. Maybe you know them casually. Maybe you don’t know them at all. But the next morning you find yourself in a situation played out on sitcoms and B-rated romantic comedies. You wake up after having had sex with someone you barely know and think, “What did I do?” But there is no laugh track in your situation. In fact you are worried to death that you may have gotten an STD or that pregnancy is a potential outcome. One night can change your entire life. So let’s jump in our time machine and travel back to the day before New Year’s Eve. If you are reading this now, there is still time to prevent this type of situation from happening in the first place and we are going to tell you how.
Worst case scenario: You have sex with someone you barely know without using any protection or birth control.
Worse than the worst case scenario: You are extremely vulnerable due to being overly drunk that you are sexually assaulted or even raped.
It may seem like common sense to list these but here are some reasons you may want to re-think having sex when intoxicated: Acquiring an STD, getting someone pregnant, getting pregnant, being more at risk for sexual assault or rape, being charged with sexual assault or rape, being labeled as easy or promiscuous, and messing up any hope of a healthy relationship with drunk sex that you may or may not remember the next day.
A website called Phoenix House cites some frightening statistics about having sex while intoxicated including the fact that “…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.” Don’t let this happen to you.
How to avoid the New Year’s Eve drunken one-night stand:
• If you are not in a committed relationship it is probably wise to refrain from sexual activity on this evening especially if you have been drinking. Wait to make such a decision until you are sober. Chances are that you would not have sex with certain people if you were not wearing your beer goggles.
• Keep in mind that one night can change your life forever. Many people who are intoxicated are not mindful of using condoms or other methods of protection and birth control. Things like herpes or AIDS last forever. It only takes one time.
• If you are going out to a party or club keep with your group. Plan on having a designated driver (who does not drink) and do not stray from your friends. If you do plan on drinking try to have at least one friend who watches over you.
