Everyone has heard the stories about the prevalence of alcohol and sex at college. According to a 1999 Penn State survey, students believe that 94.1 percent of other students drank alcohol at least once a week during the past year. In reality, 49.3 percent reported actually doing so. Students also believe 96 percent of their peers had sex one or more times in the past 30 days, while 47 percent reported actually having had vaginal intercourse.

The real story is alcohol and sex are not every student's favorite combination. Nationally, 80 percent of sexual assaults that occur on college campuses involve alcohol, according to the 1999 American College Health Association Survey. At Penn State, the picture isn't much different. Here 70 percent of students who seek assistance for sexual assault report that alcohol played a role in the assault.

How does alcohol contribute to sexual assault? First, it is important to understand what sexual assault is. According to Pennsylvania law, sexual assault is non-consensual sexual intercourse and a second-degree felony. "Non-consensual" means that "one of the partners did not verbally or non verbally consent to, or was not mutually engaged in having sex." So what triggers the relationship between alcohol and sexual aggression?

According to one research study, people have certain expectations for how alcohol will effect them. Some men expect to feel more sexual, powerful and aggressive as a result of drinking. Alcohol also can affect a person's ability to give and send cues about her or his sexual intent. Depending on how much someone has had to drink, they may not be in a condition to give consent.

But there are ways to protect yourself. Women and men should think about what their sexual limits are and be prepared to communicate them directly. Also, be aware of sex-role stereotypes that prevent you from acting as you want to. Pay attention to nonverbal behaviors, including the signals you may be sending.

Women should be assertive and speak directly. Don't worry about being polite, and trust your instincts. If the situation doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Confront the person immediately or leave. Know how you're getting home from a social event. If the friend or group of friends you were planning on walking with have already left, call the Penn State Escort Service (865-WALK) rather than walking alone or with someone you just met.

Men need to listen carefully to a woman's statements. If you feel that she's giving a mixed message, ask for clarification — don't make assumptions, except that "no" means no. If she consents to kissing or petting, again, don't assume that she's willing to have intercourse.

For additional information on what to do if sexually assaulted, how to help a friend or file a complaint with the Office of Judicial Affairs, visit www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/assault.htm.

Look out for yourself and for your friends!

Drinking’s effect varies with gender

Question: Why do some people get aggressive when they drink?

Answer: According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol may encourage aggression or violence by disrupting the normal functions of the brain. According to the “dis-inhibition hypothesis,” alcohol weakens the mechanisms in the brain that would normally stop impulsive or aggressive behavior. Also, because alcohol impairs information processing, a person may perceive someone to be a threat when he or she is not.

Question: I’ve heard that alcohol affects men and women differently, is this true?

Answer: Yes, men and women metabolize alcohol at different rates, which causes women to be intoxicated faster and longer. There are three factors that account for this difference:

• The average total body weight of a man has more water in it than a woman; consequently, alcohol becomes more diluted in men than in women.
• Women have less alcohol dehydrogenase, a stomach enzyme that helps metabolize alcohol.
• Hormonal changes in women can affect their blood alcohol levels. Women are likely to stay intoxicated for a longer time one week prior to menstruating.