This Article is From Jan 01, 2012

Drinking fuelling 'risky sex' among teenagers in UK

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London: Drinking is fuelling an epidemic of "risky sex" among teenagers, leading to pregnancies and spread of diseases, doctors in Britain have warned.

According to the Royal College of Physicians in the UK, a number of teenagers have admitted going too far sexually while drunk, leading to pregnancies and infections, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The college has urged doctors and nurses to ask teenagers about their drinking habits when they turn up to sexual health clinics for contraception or the morning-after pill.

It said that around one million teenagers attend sexual health clinics every year to get free contraception, the morning-after pill or to undergo tests and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

The college said this provides doctors and nurses with a "key opportunity" to find out about youngsters' drinking habits and warn them about the dangers of going overboard.

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The organisation highlighted research showing that a fifth of 14 and 15-year-old girls said they did more sexually than they wanted to while drunk. And more than 80 per cent of 16 to 30-year-olds said they drank before sexual activity.

Dr Janet Wilson of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, who helped write the report, said: "A sexual health check-up is the ideal time to broach the subject, to find the one in five young people attending our clinics who are at most risk and give them structured advice around alcohol consumption, referring to alcohol services where appropriate."

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