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Prevalence of, and Gender Differences in College Students' Experiences of Alcohol-Related Regretted Sex: a Scoping
M E Arnold1, A P Masterson1, T K Rohleen1
1University of Florida, P.O. Box 118210, Gainesville, FL 32611-8210 USA.
Purpose Of Review:
College students' alcohol-related regretted sex is linked to adverse health outcomes. However, studies report inconsistent prevalence estimates and gender differences.
Recent Findings:
A search of five databases yielded 15 studies. Lifetime alcohol-related regretted sex prevalence ranged from 14%-48% for women and 38%-47% for men; past year ranged 18%-34% for women and 22%-28% for men; past six months was reported as 18% for women and 15% for men; past month was 12% for women and 11% for men. Two studies found men more likely to regret alcohol-related sex, one found women more likely, two reported mixed results, and 10 found no significant gender differences.
Summary:
Findings suggest alcohol-related regretted sex is not a consistently gendered phenomenon among college students which has implications for the development of universal vs. group-specific interventions. Longitudinal studies of types of regretted sex among diverse students are needed to examine changes over time and inform age-specific interventions.
Supplementary Information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40429-026-00764-w.
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