Gender Differences in Regretted Consensual Sexual Experiences and Problematic Alcohol Use among First-Year College Students

Regretted sexual behaviors and alcohol use often occur in tandem for college students; however, few studies have examined their interrelationships or the variance across gender. This study tested gender differences in how regretting a consensual sexual experience is related to college students’ alcohol use. One hundred and forty first-year students (63% women, 69% Hispanic) surveyed in 2018 and 2019 reported their sexual behavior and alcohol use (following the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index [RAPI]). Twenty-one percent of men and 16% of women reported a regretted sexual encounter. Interaction effects from regression models revealed that men with sexual regret had a significantly higher RAPI score than women with sexual regret. Our results challenge broader gender assumptions about regret for sexual encounters. Problematic alcohol use should be widely investigated to include consensual sexual activity that may later be regretted, with specific concern for men’s sexual activity.