Risky Sexual Behavior

• Researchers estimate that alcohol use is implicated in one- to two-thirds of sexual assault and “date rape” cases among teens and college students.

• It is estimated that teenage girls who binge drink are up to 63% more likely to become teen mothers.

• Among male high school students, 39 percent say it is acceptable for a boy to force sex with a girl who is drunk or high.

• In a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 23% (5.6 million) of sexually active teens and young adults ages 15-24 in the United States reported having had unprotected sex because they were drinking or using drugs at the time. Twenty-four percent of teens ages 15-17 said that their alcohol and drug use led them to do more sexually than they had planned.

Drinking and the Adolescent Brain

Scientists now know that the human brain is not fully developed until about age 25. The brains of youth are more susceptible to damage from alcohol than adult brains.
Only recently have researchers begun to recognize the serious and significant consequences that underage drinking may have on the brain development.

• Human adolescents with alcohol use disorders had nearly 10% less volume in the hippocampus, our primary brain structure for memory and learning. These adolescents have a more difficult time accessing their memories than their peers. It is not known if these effects are reversible.

• The adolescent brain is still developing and the relative development of three brain structures - the prefrontal cortex, the nucleus accumbens, and the amygdala – may be relevant to teenage behavior. The adolescent brain tends toward poor impulse control, favoring of low-effort yet thrilling experiences, and heightened sensitivity to the social benefits of intoxication. These elements may contribute to an initial decision to use drugs and make the experience rewarding enough to repeat it.

• Binge drinking and other forms of substance abuse during adolescence increase the likelihood of experiencing psychological problems later in life. [More]