Resources

References for the Party IQ Quiz

1. There are many effective remedies to help recover from a hangover. You just have to learn what works best for yourself.

The correct answer is FALSE.
Common myths about sobering up include drinking black coffee, taking a cold bath or shower, sleeping it off, or walking it off. But none of these work. The only thing that reverses the effects of alcohol is time for it to clear out of your bloodstream and that varies for each person. Alcohol can affect your balance and judgment for many hours after you stop drinking.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Facts About Alcohol Poisoning 9/23/2005.

2. College students do a good job protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or unintended pregnancy when they drink.

The correct answer is FALSE.
College students may know how to protect themselves, but when they drink they may become careless. More than 100,000 college students reported that they have been too intoxicated to know whether they consented to sexual intercourse and 400,000 students have had sex without using any protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or unintended pregnancy.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2002. A Snapshot of Annual High-Risk College Drinking Consequences. 

3. If a woman has unprotected intercourse she has an 85% chance of becoming pregnant in one year.

The correct answer is TRUE.
However, about 50% of unintended pregnancies occur among couples who were using a contraceptive method in the month the woman became pregnant. Either the method did not work properly or the couple did not use it consistently or correctly.

Sources: Hatcher, R.A. et al. Contraceptive Technology. New York: Ardent Media. 2004.

Guttmacher Institute.  2006.  Contraception Counts: Minnesota.

4. A woman can drink like a man and the effects will be the same.

The correct answer is FALSE.
When it comes to drinking alcohol, men and women are NOT created equal. Due to women’s smaller bodies, lower water volume and higher percentage of body fat, alcohol stays in women’s body for longer periods of time. Women are more affected by alcohol more quickly. They experience worse hangovers and risks than men, even when drinking the same amount of alcohol as men. The impact of two drinks on a man is roughly equivalent to one drink on a woman.

Source: Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.  2006.  Women under the influence. p. 62. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.

5. A woman who drinks every day of the week is more likely to have problems because of drinking than a woman who only drinks once in awhile.

The correct answer is FALSE.
It’s the amount of alcohol a woman drinks in a given period of time that matters. A woman doesn’t have to drink often or be alcohol dependent to experience serious problems because of drinking, especially if she drinks 3 or more drinks in a 2-hour period (even occasionally). When a woman drinks too much, her judgment, memory, and balance are impaired, thus, she may be more vulnerable to a wide range of dangers.

Sources: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2005) Alcohol: A women’s health issue.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2000). Clinical Protocols to Reduce High Risk Drinking in College. 

6. When drinking, women are more likely to experience violence or assault.

The correct answer is TRUE.
It’s a sad fact that young women who drink are at increased risk of becoming victims of dating violence such as shoving, kicking, punching, and rape. A national study of college women from 119 colleges and universities found that roughly one in 20 (4.7%) women reported being raped. And nearly three quarters (72%) of the victims experienced rape while intoxicated.

Source: Mohler-Kuo M. Dowdall G.W. Koss M. Wechsler H. 2004. Correlates of rape while intoxicated in a national sample of college women. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2004; 65(1): 37-45.

7. You have to be an alcoholic to experience blackouts when drinking.

The correct answer is FALSE.
Social drinkers who drink too much in a short period of time can also experience blackouts. During the blackout, they may engage in dangerous activities such as unprotected sex or driving under the influence, but will have no memory of these events. Women report experiencing blackouts as often as men, despite the fact that they drank less than the men.

Source : Mumenthaler, M.S.; Taylor, J.L.; O’Hara, R. et al. Gender differences in moderate drinking effects. 1999. Alcohol Research & Health, 23:55–64.