Drunk women ‘risking more’ than men

Many young women leave themselves vulnerable to sexual assaults and engage in unprotected sex after drinking, a new survey has revealed.

The study, “Anatomy of a big night out’, by responsible drinking campaigners, The Portman Group, found that over a third (36%) of female respondents had been sexually assaulted after getting drunk.

The survey, involving 1,000 18-30 year-olds, found that only 2% of men reported sexual assaults after drinking too much.

The survey also found that 34% of young women admitted having unplanned or unprotected sex while drunk.

The Portman Group also found that women were more likely to become aggressive after drinking than men. More than half the young women surveyed (59%) said they had got into an argument when drunk, compared to 45% of men, while more women than men claimed to have been arrested or cautioned by the police while drinking.

Women were also more likely to have sustained an injury while drinking than men, the survey found, while almost half the women questioned also said they did not eat a meal either before going out drinking or during the evening.

The survey also examined the reasons why young people drank too much. Over a third of respondents (34%) said they got drunk because of peer pressure, while almost a third said they drank more if they had a ‘bad day’ or week. Nearly a third also said that they got drunk in order to feel more confident.

Jean Coussins, Chief Executive of the Portman Group, said that the findings were “disturbing”. She said: “Alcohol affects your judgement and the fact that so many young women are being sexually assaulted after getting drunk is shocking. If you are planning a big night out, make sure you always stay in control.

“What is most alarming of all is the fact that young women seem to be risking more than young men. They are getting into more fights, more arguments and are being arrested or cautioned by the police more than young men.”

The survey findings come as the Portman Group launches a drinks diary to enable people to keep track of how many units and calories they drink in a typical week and encourage them to reduce their drinking.

Ms Coussins said: “We hope that the drinks diary may be the trigger needed to make young women think twice about what could happen to them if they drink too much.”

The drinks diary, which is free, is available at: www.drinkaware.co.uk

(KMcA/SP)