Women pressurised into sex

Nearly half of young women say they have been pressurised into having sex they didn't want, new research reveals today.

Figures show that 41 per cent of women aged 18 to 30 admitted they had agreed to have sex when they would have preferred not to.

Sixty-nine per cent of those women went ahead with sex because they felt under pressure from a man.

Nearly a third consented because they were too drunk to argue, while one in 10 women were worried that their partner might become angry if they refused. The main reason women gave for not wanting sex was that they were no longer sexually attracted to the man involved. But 26 per cent said they felt they had "led him on" and didn't feel comfortable saying no.

An overwhelming 73 per cent of women said they regretted having had sex in those circumstances. But the majority (62 per cent) said they just put it down to experience.

Susie Orbach, psychotherapist and writer, said she thought the findings were accurate because women still felt they should not disappoint men. She said: "Despite women's sense of freedom and choice today, girls still imbibe the idea that they should look after others' needs and take care of them, and not disappoint and insist 'no, no, no'."

Victoria White, editor of Company magazine - which interviewed 1,000 women aged 18 to 30 last month to compile its survey - said: "It's surprising that independent and confident women still find themselves in this situation. Our readers are so much more assertive than their parents' generation - yet ask any group of women if they have had sex when they weren't really into it and you'll get a resounding yes."

She continued: "Why is it that we can complain about career problems until we are blue in the face, but are in danger of letting men call the shots in the bedroom?"

Carli, 27, from Palmers Green, said peer pressure from other girls at school led her to have sex several times before she really felt ready. "It wasn't the boys who made me feel pressured although if I hadn't been drinking I wouldn't have been in that situation," she said. "Things get to a certain stage and guys think if you have got this far why are you not going all the way?"

Theresa, 46, from Norwood, was 19 when she stayed over at a friend's after a party. "I'd had too much to drink and woke up with a strange man next to me. I didn't even want my friends to know.

"My advice to girls now is to watch what you are drinking and always book a cab home."