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Assault

Sexual consent means giving your agreement and saying yes to having sex.

Drugs like alcoholGBL and mephedrone can cause memory blackouts, confusion and space you out. They can make you so horny that you make choices you normally wouldn’t be happy with and this can create real problems around consent.

Giving consent and saying no

Drink and drugs can make someone confused, but you always have a right to choose who you have sex with.

If you feel unsure or get a bad feeling for any reason, or at any point, you can always stop and take a break.

While it’s always best to be assertive in these situations and be honest about what you want sexually, sometimes this can be really difficult – especially in a sexual setting where drugs are involved.

Telling someone that you don’t feel well (due to drugs) may be an easier way to get an immediate break from a sexual situation you don’t feel comfortable with. You can then take a breather, drink some water, avoid taking any drugs for a short while and consider whether this is something you want to continue with or avoid.

If you’re not sure, STOP

One of the difficulties with sex on drugs is that things can rapidly change.

You might start having sex with a guy who has consented and they might slowly start to lose consciousness and go under on G, while you’re having sex.

Check in with your partner at regular intervals, make sure they’re able to maintain eye contact with you, focus and respond to you verbally.

If it looks like they are becoming confused or drowsy or their movements are strange, stop straight away.

Ask someone to come and join you to look after them. Wait until they come around properly and check whether they’re OK and can consent properly before having sex.

Some guys may give prior sexual consent by saying things like ‘if I go under, just carry on’, but this is a grey area of the law and could result in a prosecution.

Have you been assaulted?

If someone has had sexual contact with you without your consent, this is sexual assault. Any time someone inserts their cock into your arse or mouth without your consent it is rape. Both are crimes punishable by law.

If you think you may have been sexually assaulted, you can:

Talk to the police

There is no time limit for reporting assault, and the police will always take your story seriously. For more information on the reporting process, visit:

Talk to a counselling or medical service

If you’re not sure whether you want to talk to the police, you can talk to someone who’s been trained in dealing with sexual assault. They won’t talk to the police unless you ask them to.

Here are some other services:

Get a medical check

You may be worried about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or physical damage to your body (especially your arse) if you can’t remember what happened.

Checking in with a sexual health clinic when you feel able to can help to make sure your physical health is OK and that you access any treatment you may need. They can also provide a safe space to talk about what happened and should be able to refer you on to other support services if needed.

If you’re HIV negative, you should also consider post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as soon as possible.

Remember, you can get PEP from Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments during the evenings or weekends.

Next: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) ››

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Published: 29/08/2018
Next review: 29/08/2021