Sex, alcohol and drugs
Sex and alcohol
Drinking before having sex also has negative effects. The more you drink, the stronger the effects:
- You have less control over yourself and you might do things that you do not want or do not agree to.
- You need more time to reach an orgasm and the orgasm is less strong.
- Your sexual desire and arousal can also decrease. This is often so for women.
- It is more difficult for men to keep an erection. Sometimes they are unable to.
- You are less focused on the risk of STIs, HIV and unintended pregnancy. You might have unprotected sex.
Sex and drugs
Taking drugs influences your sexual experience too. Drugs often make you less able to control what you do and what you want to do. You have less control over yourself and the situation you are in.
When you share injection material you can get infected with HIV. Always use your own material. Do not share it with other people.

Do not share used injection material.
Alcohol, drugs and fertility
If you regularly use drugs or drink alcohol over a long period, you can become less fertile.
Alcohol and drugs can have an effect on fertility, pregnancy and the development of a the foetus. For more information, you can visit the website of Jellinek (website in Dutch, English, Turkish and Arabic).
Protection against HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancy
A condom protects against HIV and reduces the risk of infection with an STI.
To protect yourself against unintended pregnancy, you can use a condom or another method of contraception.
Condom