British researchers say that healthcare providers should include the topic of alcohol use in their discussions with adolescents about sexual health, Reuters Health reported Nov. 18.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Doncaster Primary Care Trust interviewed five groups of boys and five groups of girls ages 14-16, all of whom were attending a sexual health clinic at a youth club that serves "socially deprived" populations with high rates of teen pregnancy.

The researchers presented the teens with four scenarios: a couple in which the boy but not the girl wants to have sex; a boy who is being teased by friends for not wanting to have sex with his girlfriend; a popular girl who has a reputation for having sex with multiple, older boys; and a girl who in a situation where she is pressured to have sex when two friends pair off with three boys at a sleepover.

The girls showed more empathy for the individuals involved in the scenario and did not use "negative, aggressive or coercive language" when talking about sex. The boys did use such language and talked about getting girls drunk so they would be more likely to have sex. The males also seemed to focus on how the male in the situation was thinking, not the female.

"Helping young people to approach alcohol sensibly should be a key element of sexual health promotion," said coauthors Mark Hayter and Christina Harrison, because alcohol and sex are "inextricably linked."

Counselors working with adolescents also should encourage young males to empathize with how girls feel, as well as helping young women develop the social skills necessary to resist pressure from boys and from their peers to have sex, the authors added.

The findings were published in the November 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.