Sex is always going to be a huge part of the college experience, but a recent survey has shown there are some serious problems surrounding it.
While what happens under the duvet is ideally a great experience for both partners involved, new statistics have shown that there are some worrying problems surrounding how students engage and consent in sex.
The SHAG (Sexual Health and Attitudes, Galway) survey was carried out with over 1,600 NUIG students, looking at issues such as students being coerced into sex, how students consent and how alcohol effects a student’s sexual activity.
While the report generally suggests that the majority of students have perfectly healthy sex lives (well done people!), there are still some worrying points that cannot go unnoticed.
To save you from trawling through the entire +100-page report, we’ve summed up the most important points to take away from this study.
More than 1 in 13 females have been sexually assaulted in the last 12 months
Perhaps the most worrying thing to take from this report, it shows that 8% of females have been victims of some form of unwanted sexual contact in the last 12 months.
It is described in the report as “were certain someone had sexual contact with them where they were unable to provide consent or stop what was happening because they were passed out, drugged, drunk, incapacitated or asleep and are certain this happened.”
Likewise, 8% of females surveyed were uncertain that this definitely occurred, but suspected it had happened.
It is also noteworthy that males are subject to this, although it is not as prevalent. 3% of males surveyed were certain they had experienced unwanted sexual contact.
23% of females and 4% of males in their first academic year also report someone ever attempting, but not succeeding in having sexual contact with them by using or threatening to use physical force against them.
We still have a massive problem with ‘slut-shaming’
Remember when broadcaster George Hook got into hot water earlier this year for his comments concerning sexual assault?
Some people thought his comments were just emblematic of an older generation gone by, but it turns out a sizeable portion of NUIG students follow a somewhat similar line of thinking.
23% of females and 37% of males agree with the statement “If a girl acts like a slut, eventually she is going to get into trouble.”
First of all, there are problems with the vagueness of this statement (for example, why is it particularly ‘a girl acts like a slut’, can men not too?).
Secondly, is it fair that a woman is expected to be at risk of assault based on the independent choices she makes in her own sexual lifestyle?
We’ve managed to make a few choice words unacceptable over the last few years. Maybe slut should be the next one to be banished from our vocabulary.
There’s a clear gender divide when it comes to one-night-stands.
While the survey definitely points towards sexual satisfaction levels being higher when in a steady relationship, there was no hiding that casual sex was a clear part of student life.
However, there were noticeable differences in the attitude to this between men and women.
For example, 79% of men classed this as ‘acceptable’, compared to only 58% of females.
Figures also point towards men needing to up their game when it comes to one-night-stands; 60% of males said that one-night-stands were sometimes very enjoyable compared to only 33% of females.
Alcohol plays a major role in students’ attitude towards sex
It may not come as a massive shock, but drink definitely plays a role when it comes to sex for students in a number of ways.
Alcohol has a direct impact on consent, with 31.5% of females and 57% of males saying they found it harder to say no to sexual advances after drinking.
It also had a worrying effect on birth control, with 1 in 4 men and women saying that they neglected to use contraception due to drinking alcohol.
Overall, the survey pointed towards the general idea that was already accepted; a few drinks will generally lower a person’s inhibitions when it comes to sex.
You can read the full report here: