Binge-Drinking and the High Risk of STDs and Unsafe Sex

A few days ago, my husband and I were discussing the way we were raised. Our parents were relatively strict and we both grew up with a sense that if we went down the “wrong path” in life and got mixed up with the wrong people that we would greatly disappoint our parents; so we both grew up doing our best in school, getting scholarships, finishing college and securing our spots in society…essentially the great American dream. Of course, we would both be lying if we said that we never did our share of dumb things, like driving home after having some drinks in our college days or going without sleep for over 24 hours to attend a concert in a city 3 hours away and then rushing home to take a final exam at 8 in the morning. Along with most of our classmates, we both did our fair share of binge drinking after those final exams to celebrate the successful end of the semester. Fortunately for us and many others we graduated from college unscathed, despite the occasional binge drinking. Some, however, are not so lucky. According to a recent study, women who drink five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting are more likely to engage in sexual behavior that is risky, thus resulting in more cases of sexually transmitted diseases.

Results from the study were taken from cases in an urban clinic that works particularly with STD cases; these results point to the fact that women who binge drink would often engage in risky sexual behavior like anal sex and sex with multiple men, leading to more frequent cases of gonorrhea. Co-author of the study, Heidi Hutton, states, “We found gender differences in binge drinking among patients at an STD clinic, and also that binge drinking increased STD risk for women.” Fellow author Geetanjali Chander added, “Binge drinking results in a decreased ability to make clear decisions and can enable individuals to engage in behaviors that they would not if sober. Initially, some individuals may drink with the expectation of decreasing inhibitions, or some may drink because they are anxious, or depressed, and they expect alcohol to alleviate their symptoms. Regardless of why they choose to drink, many people do not perceive the potential risk or harm that may result from binge drinking.” In all honesty, we might have skipped this study altogether and simply walked amongst any college campus across the nation and asked any number of female students if drinking causes one to lose their inhibitions. Better yet, go to any dance club after midnight and count the number of women who are dancing half-naked on the bar or grinding on random men on the dance floor.

Nonetheless, the study was completed in August 2001 and evaluated the responses of close to 700 patients being treated at the urban STD clinic. These patients agreed to complete a questionnaire about their sexual behavior and alcohol and drug use. Hutton states they discovered that “across gender, women binge drinkers are more likely to have anal sex than men binge drinkers. Within gender, women binge drinkers are three times as likely to have anal sex, and twice as likely to have multiple sex partners compared to women who do not drink alcohol. Compared to non-drinking women, women binge drinkers are also five times as likely to have gonorrhea.”