Regretful sex. Losing our inhibitions.

Nights out, having a few drinks and engaging in some harmless flirting can be a rite of passage for many of us. Alcohol definitely plays its part in giving us confidence, reducing our inhibitions and making us more open to meeting new people. This increased confidence means we can do things we wouldn't do sober, usually providing great entertainment the morning after and not a little embarrassment.

Facing the morning after

Whilst at the time this seems like great fun, we can find ourselves in compromising or uncomfortable situation in the cold, sober light of day. One of the most common, and probably the worst, situations that many women face is the realisation of having sex with someone following a few too many glasses of wine or an evening of exotic cocktails.

"In the morning I was mortified with what I'd done and really wished the ground would swallow me up."

Sarah, 25, enjoys regular nights out with the girls but has found herself in awkward situations she wished she hadn't following drunken encounters with the opposite sex. "When I'm out with my pals having a few drinks, we often have a laugh chatting up guys and sometimes as the evening goes on one thing leads to another, although only really because I've had a few too many glasses of wine. There was one time I went home with a guy I'd only just met and slept with him. In the morning I was mortified with what I'd done and really wished the ground would swallow me up. Not only was it really embarrassing, I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid to go home alone with someone who I didn't even know."

Not just regret and guilt

Feelings of regret and guilt are common amongst people who end up sleeping with someone they may hardly know. However there are some genuine concerns for women finding themselves in this unfortunate situation. From pregnancy to sexually transmitted diseases, the regret often soon turns to worry and can cause real stress and anxiety.

Ruth, 34, is now married but loved playing the field when she was single. A few years on, however, she looks back on some of her behaviour with regret. "I never saw anything wrong with going out, having a few drinks and meeting eligible men. But I do shudder at the thought of some of the situations I ended up in due to the fact I'd drunk too much. It only really struck me how much I was putting myself at risk when I ended up having to take the morning after pill after unsafe sex during a drunken one night stand."