Our Little Mermaid Halle Bailey has been making waves in 2023, thanks to headline-worthy moves like landing a role in the forthcoming The Color Purple, dropping summer heat by way of her first solo single, "Angel," and of course, starring as the iconic Ariel in this year's Rob Marshall-helmed reimagining of The Little Mermaid. But what has also been getting media attention is her relationship with her longtime love, rapper and YouTuber DDG.
Though they tend to keep their relationship relatively low-key, they have experienced a bit of heat over the last year. Due to some of DDG's questionable antics during Halle's press run for The Little Mermaid, fans endorsed a "dump him" campaign where they voiced their opinion that the rising star was out of his league and that her boyfriend was jealous of her success.
Halle Bailey and DDG Complete Relationship Timeline
Public attention and rumors are par for the course in the world of entertainment, but they seem to handle it with grace, focusing on their happiness and individual growth. In fact, after hearing the feedback, Halle graciously thanked everyone for trying to look out for her but ultimately felt that she knew what was best for her when it came to her relationship.
Since then, DDG, 26, and Halle, 23, have made many public appearances (as well as in vlogs by way of DDG's YouTube channel) maintaining a united front and have seemingly bounced back from the early hiccups of their relationship journey.
Halle Bailey and DDG Relationship Timeline:
From their red carpet debut to some of their most talked-about moments to becoming first-time parents to their baby Halo, here's Halle Bailey and DDG's complete relationship timeline.
January 2022: Halle and DDG attend Usher's Las Vegas residency.
DDG/Instagram
DDG and Halle spark dating rumors after being spotted together enjoying Usher's Las Vegas residency in January 2022.
February 2022: Halle and DDG have dinner together in Malibu.
On Febuary 7, the then-21-year-old Halle was photographed with DDG leaving dinner at Nobu.
March 2022: DDG makes things Instagram official and confirms his relationship with Halle.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, DDG took to Instagram to give a birthday shoutout to the Ungodly Hour singer. Professing his love, he wrote, "Happy Birthday to the beautifulest, the flyest, the sweetest ❤️. Love you forever 🥺💎."
March 2022: Halle posts a cute TikTok of singing lessons with DDG.
@hallebailey singing lessons with @DDG 🤣
It's giving wholesome. In a viral moment, Halle showed the world a glimpse of DDG's softer side as they playfully engaged in "singing lessons."
April 2022: Halle and DDG are spotted together at a Coachella party.
About a month after making things Instagram official, the pair were spotted together boo'd up at a Coachella party.
June 2022: Halle Bailey and DDG make their red carpet couple debut.
Momodu Mansaray/WireImage
For their red carpet debut as a couple, Halle and DDG made things an all-black affair at the 2022 BET Awards red carpet. At the awards show, Halle told Extra, "I have my boo with me today."
She also revealed their excitement and anticipation for her sister Chloe's performance that night. "We’re so excited. We’re gonna have so much fun just supporting Chloe. It’ll be great!"
July 2022: DDG tells DJ Akademiks how Halle inspires and motivates him to be better.
In a July interview with the media personality, DDG revealed:
"I honestly get inspired by my girl. She honestly motivated me to be better and work harder and get to certain levels. I look up to her in a sense 'cause it's, like, I never been around nobody that really . . . 'cause I feel like I'm always the motivator, I'm the inspirer."
"It's like I'm in a different mode now where I'm getting inspired by somebody. I feel like it's healthy in that way for me 'cause it's like a weight off my shoulders. It's like, 'Okay, I need to work harder.' It's challenging in a good way. It just makes me want to go harder versus feeling overwhelmed or some shit."
September 2022: Halle stars as the leading lady in DDG's "If I Want You" video.
Are you really dating if you don't appear in at least one of your rapper boyfriend's videos as a leading lady? Halle flexed her acting chops, served face, and provided her famously angelic vocals in DDG's "If I Want You." The heat was palpable.
September 2022: Halle and DDG attend Paris Fashion Week.
Marc Piasecki/Getty Images For Roger Vivier
The pair were spotted attending the Roger Vivier Press day for Paris Fashion Week.
October 2022: Halle and DDG step out for the Wearable Art Gala event.
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Wearable Art Gala
Halle and DDG were all smiles as they dazzled at the 5th Annual WACO Wearable Art Gala red carpet together.
October 2022: DDG says he's 'very proud' of Halle and her success.
While promoting his album, It's Not Me, It's You, DDG gushed to PEOPLE about his happiness for his girlfriend Halle's career.
"I'm very proud of her. And I'm just happy to see it. I feel like sometimes I'm even more excited than anybody else. Just seeing it and seeing everything that she dreamed of coming to life, it's really dope."
November 2022: Halle says she's 'been a fan' of DDG in a cover story with ESSENCE.
Halle opened up about knowing who her rapper boyfriend was before actually meeting him in a cover story with ESSENCE. “I’ve been a fan of his for years. I grew up being on YouTube and would always see the young Black creators and was constantly inspired by them. He was one of them.”
She shared with the mag that she was familiar with his music as early as 2015, but that they didn't connect until he slid in her DMs. "But then I saw that he was dropping music, and I really gravitated toward this one song. Coincidentally he messaged me — and the rest is history."
November 2022: DDG gushes about Halle's influence on his life.
During a November interview with The Breakfast Club, DDG told the hosts:
“I’ve never been with nobody that’s like really motivated me like [Halle] do. I’m seeing different shit. I ain’t really been around this type of shit before, so it’s like, she’s bringing me around shit that I ain’t really—you know what I’m saying? ‘Oh, this is crazy. This is dope.’ You know what I mean? This is somebody that’s really like … I was my own person before her, but in a way, put me on to different shit. That’s dope because I’m usually the one putting motherfuckers on.”
When the subject of marriage entered the chat, DDG admitted he could "eventually" see himself proposing to Halle.
December 2022: DDG and Halle hit the 'Avatar 2' blue carpet.
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
The couple carpet appearances keep racking as DDG and Halle stepped out together to support the James Cameron sequel, Avatar 2: The Way Of Water.
January 2023: DDG and Halle attend the Grand Reveal Weekend for Atlantis The Royal.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal
Halle Bailey and DDG showed support to the Queen by attending a private event for the Atlantis The Royal opening together in Dubai. The opening marked Beyoncé's return to the stage after a four-year hiatus.
January 2023: Halle and DDG tweet their love for each other out loud.
😎 i love you more https://t.co/kbhQ9zpKvZ
— DDG (@PontiacMadeDDG) February 1, 2023
High on love, Halle tweeted in late January, "i love my man ngl." DDG responded to her tweet, "i love you more."
February 2023: Rumors of a Halle Bailey and DDG breakup spark.
Fans picked up on DDG no longer following Halle on Instagram and wiping any and all traces of her from his account. This plus the "Hold Up" rapper posting a cryptic tweet that read, "all these girls the same … ain’t no wayy" had fans speculating that there was trouble in paradise and that the relationship was over.
But DDG responded to breakup claims and shut them down by saying that the internet was "gullible." He also told fans not to take his tweets "serious."
February 2023: DDG and Halle shut down cheating rumors involving Rubi Rose.
Rumors swirled after DDG's ex Rubi Rose made a messy comment towards Halle that spiraled into her sharing alleged receipts that DDG was trying to spin the block despite being involved with Halle. Both Halle and DDG denied the rumors, however.
Halle shared in a tweet that the "devil is working" and implored fans not to feed "into the lies, especially from a third party."
March 2023: Halle and DDG hit the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following breakup rumors.
John Shearer/WireImage
After the slight relationship hiccups that came with the start of 2023, Halle and DDG showed that they were solid in their relationship while attending the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones.
April 2023: Halle opens up about experiencing "deep love" with DDG to 'British Vogue.'
In a cover story with Britsh Vogue, Halle revealed that the love she shares with DDG is a "deep love" and one that she never experienced outside of her family. She shared:
"Experiencing deep love for the first time in my life is something I feel has opened a whole new world for me creatively. What it feels like to love someone other than your family, like somebody you may not have known two years ago but now they're the center of your world."
"I like all of the scary feelings that come with that. I like the suspense, the not knowing what's going to happen, and I feel like that's what I'm supposed to be going through in womanhood."
In the same interview, she also referred to their relationship as "deeply sacred." Whew.
May 2023: Halle says loving DDG is a "transformative experience."
In an exclusive with PEOPLE, Halle touched on experiencing young love through DDG. "I think the best thing about young love is that you're able to continue to find yourself through this journey of loving somebody else. And you're discovering new parts of yourself and maybe things that you didn't notice before about your heart," she revealed to the outlet about her young romance with her boyfriend.
"I feel like things change when love gets more involved in your life. I have definitely discovered more within myself as a woman. …It's a really cool thing to go through, but a transformative experience."
July 2023: DDG releases "Famous" and fans believe he is dissing Halle.
It could be life imitating art, or art imitating life, but DDG's song "Famous" seemed to talk about the highs and lows of being the boyfriend of a rising star. On the track, he rapped, "Filmin' a movie now you kissing dudes / You know I love you a lot / I don't give a fuck if that shit for promo / I don't wanna see this shit no more."
Fans took the song as a sneak diss to Halle and slammed the rapper for what they viewed as disrespect to Halle, spawning the backlash of him being called a "failed rapper" by supporters of the Chloe x Halle singer. DDG denied claims that "Famous" was anything more than a song, however. "It's just music y'all," he said in a video reposted by The Shade Room.
He went on to add, "It's the entertainment business. Relax, calm down, chill out. You know it is what it is. I'm used to getting hated on."
September 2023: Halle opens up about her first 'deep, real love' with DDG.
Halle sat down with Cosmopolitan as a part of her press run to support her film, The Little Mermaid. She told the outlet that she drew a lot of musical inspo from love and that she was experiencing love "for the first time, and it’s, like, ‘whoa’ in your brain. It’s just fireworks, a spark for creativity."
She continued, "You know, you have puppy love experiences, you think that’s love. But this is my first deep, deep, real love."
September 2023: Halle and DDG attend Milan Fashion Week.
Victor Boyko/Getty Images for Gucci
Halle and DDG were spotted cuddled up at the Gucci Ancora during Milan Fashion Week.
October 2023: DDG and Halle attend the Glamour Women of the Year Awards.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Halle looked absolutely radiant as the pair stepped out in London for the Glamour Women of the Year Awards on October 17 where the actress was an honoree of the night. She received the award for Gen Z Game-Changer and, when accepting her award, shared her experience of navigating scrutiny over her choices and offered the crowd encouragement to live life on their own terms:
"It's been an adjustment to live my life under the scrutiny of that spotlight. But, in the age of social media, in some way, we all live under that same scrutiny. From what we wear to who we love to the things we care about – It’s all open to scrutiny. So, here’s my honest advice. Turn it off when you need to find inner peace. But also, live your life for you. Don’t waste time living it for social media.
"Everyone has an opinion but the only opinion that matters is your own – you already know deep down what’s right for you. For me, it works because I keep it simple. I put God first and then I try to make decisions that are best for me in that moment."
January 2024: Halle Bailey and DDG announce the birth of their son, Halo.
Though neither of the pair confirmed there was any truth to the pregnancy speculation surrounding their relationship in much of the latter half of 2023, Halle Bailey and DDG started 2024 with news of the birth of their son. DDG dropped the visual to his song "Darryl Freestyle" which included a lyric revealing he had become a dad as well as the child's name, Halo.
Not too soon after, Halle took to Instagram to share a selfie of DDG's hand, her hand, and baby Halo's tiny hand. In her caption, she wrote, "even though we're a few days into the new year, the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son.. welcome to the world my halo."
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Featured image by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
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Mercury enters Aries from April 16 until May 10, and what you were trying to see through or understand better while Mercury was retrograde here last month, you are experiencing a breakthrough now. Mercury in Aries is insightful and courageous, and people are more likely to speak their minds and initiate conversation with this energy. Mars then enters Leo from April 18 until June 17, reminding us that sometimes it’s okay to be a little more selfish and to focus on what you need right now. Mars in Leo brings forth confidence, creativity, and passion, and brings an exciting energy to charge of your life and advocate for yourself.
Taurus Season officially begins on April 19, bringing some earth sign energy into the mix, grounding and nurturing what you are creating in your life right now. On April 27, we have a New Moon in Taurus, and this is an abundant and fruitful New Moon. This is one of the best New Moons of the year for you to set your intentions for your financial world and a time for seeing new opportunities for abundance. On the last day of the month, Venus moves into Aries until June 6th, and love requires a little more passion, independence, and excitement during this time.
Overall, April is a month of feeling things through, taking more intuitive risks, investing in yourself, and balancing your needs with the needs of your relationships.
Read for your sun and rising sign below to see what April has in store for you.
AriesKyra Jay for xoNecoleARIES
April is your month to shine, Aries. With the chaos of March now over, you are starting to see the progress of where life is and how everything has turned out even better than you were expecting. The month begins with the Sun in your 1st house of self, and you are feeling more confident, courageous, and in tune with yourself. With a Full Moon in your sister sign on April 12, relationships are also coming full circle for you now, and you are claiming your peace this month.
Mercury finally goes direct on April 7 and then enters your sign from April 16 to May 10, and this is going to clear up any miscommunications that you have been through. With Mercury now in your sign, your conversations are lively, your mind is inspiring, and you are thinking one step ahead. Before the month ends, Venus enters your sign from April 30 to June 6, and love is also moving forward for you now. Overall, this is a month where you are experiencing some happy outcomes and loyal support.
TaurusKyra Jay for xoNecoleTAURUS
April is a month of passion and purpose, Taurus. You are living in your abundance, and are focused on valuing yourself and the things you are bringing to fruition right now. Venus, your ruling planet, goes direct on March 12 after being retrograde in your financial house since March 1, and you are moving into the month experiencing more opportunities and also feeling more respected in what you are accumulating for yourself and standing your ground on.
Taurus Season officially begins on April 19, and it’s all about you right now. This Taurus Season is smoothing things out for you in love, with new relationship developments unfolding and life flourishing for you. The New Moon this month is in your sign on April 27, it’s time for a new beginning. You are truly embracing your strength in April, making things happen for yourself, and no longer doubting your future and what is possible for you.
GeminiKyra Jay for xoNecoleGEMINI
This month is all about the options becoming available to you now, Gemini. With your ruling planet Mercury going direct at the beginning of the month on April 7, you no longer feel as held back or out of place as you may have in the past weeks. With Mercury now direct, your thinking is clearer, and you are seeing the opportunities in your career and professional world that you may have missed before.
The more you can embrace your authenticity, the less time you will spend doubting how others perceive you, remember that this month.
On April 12, there is a Full Moon in Libra, highlighting the romance in your life and bringing forth understanding and compassion within your close relationships. You are letting go of old attachments or self-doubts that haven’t been serving your love life, and are growing closer to your own heart in the process. Before April comes to an end, Mars enters your 3rd house of communication, and you are overall leaving the month focused on your progress, your vision, and taking up space because you deserve to.
CancerKyra Jay for xoNecoleCANCER
This month is all about balancing your time and energy wisely, Cancer. You are being reminded not to overwork or overwhelm yourself in April, and to focus on doing the things that are within your control right now. The Sun is in your 10th house of career for most of the month so you are feeling really passionate about the things you are developing in your life right now, but it’s all about finding the right balance between your personal goals and your needs in your relationships as well.
The Full Moon in Libra on April 12 will be a time to devote your energy to self-care, close loved ones, and overall getting some time to decompress. You are ready to let go of the things that don’t make you feel safe or nurtured and are receiving an emotional renewal right now. The New Moon in Taurus at the end of the month is a time to focus on your intentions on your community, friendships, and aspirations in life, and to pay attention to where you can create more abundance here.
LeoKyra Jay for xoNecoleLEO
Things are turning around for you for the better, Leo. April is a dynamic month, and you are owning your inner alchemist. With a Full Moon in your 3rd house of communication on April 12, you are getting the messages you have been looking for and the mental clarity you have found is bringing closure to some of your close relationships. This month is about being flexible and trusting the changes that are happening for you right now.
On April 18, Mars enters your sign until June 17, and this is huge for you. You began the year with Mars retrograde in your sign, so you are getting the opportunity now, to rewrite some of the things that weren’t working for you at the beginning of the year. You are overcoming previous obstacles, and experiencing a breakthrough in your life this month. Before April ends, there is a New Moon in Taurus, highlighting your career, reputation, and professional life. This is a good New Moon to set your intentions for what goals you want to come to fruition for you now.
VirgoKyra Jay for xoNecoleVIRGO
This month is all about building new foundations in your life, Virgo. You are feeling more supported and in tune with your own inner needs and interests, and it’s bringing you closer to people and systems that resonate. Your ruling planet Mercury goes direct this month on April 7 after being retrograde for the past few weeks; bringing more clarity, understanding, and compassion to your partnerships in life. You are focused on love this month and are working together with others to make your dreams come true.
Mid-month, Mars moves into your 12th house of closure and endings, and there is a journey of healing that you experience until June 17. You are motivated to understand yourself better and are looking at the past more right now in order to do so. This is a month of recovering and healing from what has been, for new foundations to be built upon. The New Moon on April 27 is a beautiful way to end the month, as you are getting glimpses of a new, abundant, adventure that is ahead of you.
LibraKyra Jay for xoNecoleLIBRA
This is a big month of closure for you, Libra. The Sun is in your 7th house of love for most of April, and your heart is in the right place. With Venus, your ruling planet, going direct on April 12 after being retrograde since March 1, you are finally able to take a breath. You are not experiencing as many obstacles when it comes to communication matters and you are feeling like you have the tools you need to move forward right now.
The Full Moon of the month is in your sign on April 12, and you are ready to let go of what isn’t working for you. You have been through a lot recently and have gained the clarity you need to let go of old attachments. Venus moves into your house of love before the month ends, and you are leaving the month feeling more in tune with where things are moving forward for you, rather than what you are leaving behind. Your heart moves through a journey in April, and your emotions are showing you a lot.
ScorpioKyra Jay for xoNecoleSCORPIO
April is a month of success, progress, and dreams coming to fruition, Scorpio. You are focused on your health, your priorities, and creating space for the new beginnings that you are creating in your life right now. The Full Moon mid-month is a big closure moment for you, and you are owning the fact that you have healed and you are no longer the same person you were in the past. This is a month of stepping into your power and feeling supported in doing so.
Mid-month, Mars enters your 10th house of career and public life and you are shining within your purpose. Over the next month and a half, you are going to be gaining some new opportunities that will be serving your professional life and goals. This is the month to show up and to let your skills, talents, and authenticity shine. On April 17, there is a New Moon in your opposite sign, Taurus, and you are leaving the month with some pleasant surprises in store for you in love as well.
SagittariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleSAGITTARIUS
April is a new beginning for you, Sagittarius. You are focused on putting the action and effort behind your goals, and you are being proactive within the opportunities that you are looking for right now. With a Full Moon in your 11th house of aspirations mid-month, you are letting go of the way you thought things would play out for you and are owning a more abundant version of things.
On April 27, there is a New Moon in Taurus, which will be highlighting your health and what your body needs more of right now. This is a New Moon to set your intentions for your everyday life and to create a new, beneficial routine that will make things easier for you at the end of the day. Before the month ends, Venus enters your 9th house of adventure, and you are leaving the month with your sights set high. Travel plans are likely, and this is a good time to create some new plans for yourself.
CapricornKyra Jay for xoNecoleCAPRICORN
April is about putting one step in front of the other with patience and dedication and trusting the decisions you are making for yourself right now, Capricorn. The Sun is in your 4th house for most of the month, and you are yearning for your safe spaces, comfort foods, and loyal people. Giving yourself more time to decompress, take care of yourself, and ground your energy is essential this month.
Mars enters your 8th house of transformation mid-month and will be fueling your need for some change, excitement, and emotional rejuvenation over the next month and a half. You are entering an impactful moment of the year for you, and you are motivated toward change right now. The New Moon at the end of the month is in a fellow earth sign, highlighting the romantic new beginnings you are entering now. Overall, this month is a process, and you are opening new doors while finding gratitude in what is here for you now.
AquariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleAQUARIUS
April is about giving yourself time to process, accept, and gain a new perspective, Aquarius. You are being guided towards friendship, connection, and community, and are understanding what may be creating the discord in your life that has been distancing you from that. The Full Moon this month is happening in Libra on April 12, and you are ready to let go of feeling like you have to do it all at once or all alone. This month is a reminder to take your time with all the experiences you want to have, trusting that they will come to fruition for you.
Mars enters your house of love and partnership on April 18, and you enter a passionate and steamy time. Romance is in the air for you as you move through the month, and you are spending more of your time with those who you want to move forward with. Venus also moves into a relationship area of your chart before April ends, and you are surrounded by love and community. Overall, this month is showing you that you are not alone and you don’t have to go through the heavy stuff alone either.
PiscesKyra Jay for xoNecolePISCES
This is a month where your heart is shining, and you are feeling in tune with the progress you have made in your life and within your relationships, Pisces. You are owning your value, your worth, and the beauty of who you are, and are ready to leave the past behind. With Mercury and Venus both going direct in Pisces this month after being retrograde in your sign for the past few weeks, you are in a better space than you have been, and there are fewer obstacles and miscommunications in your life.
You have been through a journey of understanding yourself better through your goals, perspectives, and interests, and have been committing yourself to your authenticity. On April 27, there is a New Moon in Taurus happening, and this New Moon is a good time for communication matters, getting your message across, and for your creative pursuits. With the clarity you feel within your mind and heart right now, you are making a lot of progress in April and feeling pleased with where life is headed.
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Featured image by Kyra Jay for xoNecole
I thought that it was important to address this term for a couple of different reasons. One is for the reason that is mentioned in the origin story of sobergasms that I will address in just a sec. Another is because…people who are in long-term committed relationships? I think it’s pretty safe to say that, unless they both have some sort of substance abuse situation going on, most of them have sex some, if not most of the time, without alcohol (and certainly without drunkenness) being involved. Those who engage in casual/recreational sex, though? Well, I’ve got some stats included in this piece that will show you how much alcohol and copulation go hand in hand in a lot of those instances.
And although some studies say that casual sex (i.e., hook-up culture) isn’t quite as rampant as it was, even just a few years ago, at the same time, let’s not act like it isn’t still happening. Hell, every time we hop on social media, we see evidence (and sometimes fallout) of that. Plus, while many people are out here declaring that they don’t want or need marriage anymore (chile) — do you hear them saying that they feel the same way about sex?Yeah…exactly.
With all of this being said, let’s take a moment to look into what sobergasms are really all about and why, if you are sexually active and are not in anything serious, you should strongly consider having (more of) them.
The Origin Story of Sobergasms Is…
GiphyAight, so here’s the backstory of sobergasms. Last year, right around the holiday season, the sexual wellness brand Lovehoney decided to partner up with an alcohol-free drink company (CleanCo) to create a mocktail (I will share the recipe in just a sec) — you know, a cocktail that doesn’t have any alcohol in it. They did it because their UK (where they are based) research revealed that people tend to drink almost 40 percent more during the holidays (in the US, Americans reportedly drink twice as much as they usually do around that time).
If you add to that the fact that Lovehoney conducted their own study which cited that 64 percent of participants have admitted to having sex while being intoxicated and yet only 20 percent said that they actually enjoyed it.
And that was the main motivation for why Lovehoney came up with sobergasms: it’s a way to encourage people to be more intentional about going without drinking (so much) so that they can engage in the kind of sex that they will actually find to be pleasurable; especially since their findings also discovered that only 29 percent of men and 11 percent of women have consistent orgasms when they are drunk compared to 45 percent of men and 15 percent of women who do when they are sober.
As I thought about all of this, I decided to go on my own fact-finding mission about alcohol and its relationship to sex. It helped me to come up with even more reasons to cosign on sobergasms — and I’m hoping that it will do the same thing for you.
Before I share 10 interesting stats, first, the recipe for the mocktail that Lovehoney and CleanCo came up with:
Sobergasm Clean Drink
25ml fresh lime juice
50ml CleanCo Clean T
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp hot honey
Sea salt, chili flakes, and lime for garnish
You can click here for thorough instructions on how to make it. Over on this side of the pond, we’re pretty big on mocktails ourselves and so, if you'd like to test out some other recipes, check out “10 Spring/Summer Cocktails (& Mocktails) That Your Vagina Will Truly Enjoy” and “Sexy Sips: 8 Fall-Themed Mocktails That Are Aphrodisiacs Too.”
And while you’re pondering which mocktail you would actually like to try first, let’s get into some other reasons why oftentimes “less is best” when it comes to mixing sexual activity with alcohol consumption.
10 Stats to Keep in Mind When It Comes to Mixing Sex with Alcohol
GiphyWhen it comes to how many people partake in alcoholic beverages, Gallup cites that 65 percent of Americans who are over the age of 21 claim to do so. Out of those, the average amount of drinks that they consume on a weekly basis is around four. The preferred drink of choice? Wine (31-35 percent) with liquor being a close second (30 percent). Now factor all of this into your mind as you read the following information about alcohol and its relationship to sex:
1. One study revealed that almost 30 percent of participants were less safe when it came to their sexual decisions due to them having alcohol in their system.
2. About half of the sexual assaults that happen on college campuses involve alcohol whether it’s the perpetrator, the victim, or both.
3. Among college-aged women, when they are having sex while in a relationship, alcohol is involved 20 percent of the time. When it’s casual sex? Alcohol is involved 53 percent of the time (heavy drinking happened a whopping 36 percent of the time).
4. 42 percent of college students binge drink and 400,000 of them have sex without using a condom while consuming alcohol.
5.One study revealed that almost 72 percent of college students regretted their sexual decisions at least once. Out of the ones surveyed, almost 32 percent said that alcohol was involved when they did.
6.Of people aged 18-25, more individuals regretted having sex while having alcohol in their system than they did when it came to weed or ecstasy.
7. Women tend to participate in “non-traditional” sexual acts and masturbate more when they are intoxicated than when they are sober.
8. Although a small amount of alcohol in a woman’s system can arouse them sexually, high amounts will decrease it and can even make it harder for them to become naturally lubricated.
9. Alcohol increases the probability of having more sex partners for women.
10. Alcohol can make it more challenging for women to climax.
When you take all of this in, although I certainly appreciate how Lovehoney has brought to our attention that too much alcohol can make sex less physically pleasurable, as you can see, it can also make coitus more risky, potentially more dangerous and it can cause us to make some pretty unwise decisions, if we’re not careful as well.
And so honestly, this additional intel should further solidify why you should be uber cautious and super careful if you are going to bring alcohol into the picture when it comes to having sex with another person — again, especially if it’s recreational sex. Because even though intercourse, on average, lasts between 3-7 minutes (Google is right there), that small window of time can result in a lifetime of consequences that you may not wish to experience.
Besides, it’s not like sober sex doesn’t have its own benefits…
5 Benefits of Having Sex While You’re Completely Sober
GiphyYou know what’s interesting about the word “sober”? It doesn’t just mean that you aren’t drunk; it also means that you are “rational,” “self-controlled” and “level-headed” — and yes, when you are about to have sex with someone who you aren’t in a serious, long-term or exclusive sexual relationship with, it’s best that you are all of these things. Because while alcohol can initially make you feel like sexual activity will be more fun, sober sex has the following five proven things to offer.
1. You can better trust your decisions. Recently, I watched a video of four women who taped and posted themselves driving drunk. Moments later, all of them were ejected from the vehicle that they were in and only one survived (and she is in critical condition). Imagine if they could go back in time and go without having alcohol in their system before getting in that vehicle. SMDH.
When it comes to today’s topic, no matter what pop culture tries to tell you, any act that can potentially result in you conceiving or contracting something that doesn’t have a cure is serious as all get out. That’s why, especially when it comes to casual sex, you want to make sure that you go into the act as level-headed as possible — and you can only really do that if/when you are sober.
2. You can clearly articulate your needs and expectations. We’ve all seen a movie (or personally know someone) where a woman got tipsy and wanted to do certain sexual things; however, as alcohol began to affect her system even more, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go further or not. When you’re sober, it’s so much easier to articulate what you want/don’t want and what your expectations are. T
hat said, there are so many people who have sex-related regrets and a big part of the reason is because alcohol totally clouded their judgment and sometimes altered their thoughts and words. Definitely something to (always) keep in mind when it comes to consuming alcohol in the presence of others.
3. You’re more present. I also want to make sure that I touch on some of the things that prompted Lovehoney to come up with sobergasms in the first place. As far as the purely pleasurable side of sex goes, ask anyone who has a satisfying situation in their bedroom and I’m willing to bet that one thing that they will advise is to not overthink the experience and to remain in the moment.
When you’re intoxicated, your mind tends to be all over the place. When you’re sober-minded, it’s easier to remain focused.
4. Sex definitely tends to be more pleasurable. I’ve already shared with you that you are wetter and it’s easier for you to climax when you don’t have a lot of alcohol in your system. A part of the reason is that, since your brain is your biggest sex organ, it’s important to keep in mind that alcohol has a way of negatively affecting the communication pathways of your brain; when that happens, it can cause your moods to become erratic and you tend to become less coordinated too.
Not well-lubricated. Not climaxing. In a bad mood. Do those that sound like the keys to an awesome sexual experience? Right…absolutely not.
5. There is a lot less regret. Once you have sex with someone, you can’t take it back. That’s why it’s so important that you go into the act feeling like this is something that you really want to do (the person and the acts included); you significantly decrease the chances of you having this type of certainty when you’re not sober. And sexual regret can sometimes be one of the hardest things to get past.
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Sobergasms. Although there seem to be new terms that come up daily, one that I can definitely get behind is that. Because it encourages everyone to be sober-minded and sexually responsible in order to ultimately have a more fulfilling sexual experience.
And I will certainly raise a mocktail to that.
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