Did you hear the recent news that many college women drink excessively because they think it impresses the guys on campus? College women believed men found drunk women “sexy” and “appealing” (click here for more info on this recent study).

In fact, many women said that a man would be more sexually attracted to a woman who had 5 or more alcoholic drinks. Am I the only one who thinks someone is missing the real story here? College guys are attracted to drunk women so they can get laid – not because the women are drunk!! The men know that a woman who has had a few drinks is more relaxed and uninhibited.  Many women drink so they can use the alcohol as an “excuse” to be sexual, among other things.

Let’s face it, we live in a culture that imposes strict standards on a woman’s sexuality. Women are supposed to be “good girls” and limit the number of sexual partners they have so as not to appear “slutty.” Two standards of sexual behavior exist – one for men and another for women. Men are given much more sexual freedom and are expected to be highly sexual (this can cause problems for the guys but that’s a whole other blog). Men are expected to have higher sex drives than women and can bed multiple partners without repercussions. Women, on the other hand, are supposed to keep their sexual desires in check and limit the number of sexual partners. I believe this double standard contributes to high alcohol use in women. Alcohol removes inhibitions and enables women to firmly grasp their sexuality in an “I-don’t-give-a-damn-what-anyone-says” kind of way. They are free from the shackles of “love” and “romance” that society tells them should motivate their sexuality.

The bottom line is that women have an enormous capacity for sexual interest and pleasure. However, society has wrapped female sexual desire in love and promotes only committed relationships as the appropriate context for women’s sexuality. Romance novels, soap operas, and sitcoms all readily share this message. As a result, women learn to romanticize sexual desire and alcohol enables them to step outside of these societal restrictions.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I do not think alcohol is the answer here. I merely point it out to begin a discussion about female sexuality. Alcohol is a big problem on college campuses today and we all know it can reduce one’s ability to make good decisions. However, the fact that women think it’s sexy to guys concerns me. But I do think we need to explore how we can get women back in touch with themselves and confident about their sexuality before we can do anything about the alcohol use.