Booze-fuelled sexual encounters during the festive season should be avoided at all costs.

So says KZN Health MEC‚ Sibongiseni Dhlomo. He said that alcohol often fuelled “poor judgement”.

“There are many things that alcohol is able to preserve‚ but dignity is not one of them‚” he said. "When you are under the influence of alcohol‚ you have less inhibitions‚ and may end up doing things in the heat of the moment that you may regret tomorrow. So‚ we are urging our compatriots‚ especially young people‚ not to behave recklessly just because we are in the festive season.”

He added that an annual surge in demand for emergency morning-after pills during this time was of great concern.

“The reported increase in the demand for morning-after pills is more of a worry because we‚ as the Department of Health‚ offer condoms to the public free of charge‚” he said.

Dhlomo said that while the emergency contraceptive guarded against pregnancy‚ it would provide little barrier for sexually transmitted diseases.

“We wish to remind the public that the best way for a person to keep themselves free from the risk of having an unwanted pregnancy or contracting a sexually-transmitted infection is by either abstaining from sex or using Dual Protection‚ which is a combination of condoms and female contraceptive methods at all times.

“Morning-after pills are for emergencies‚ and may not always be 100% effective. They also come with the added stress of finding and taking them on time‚ whereas you may find that because of the holidays‚ the chemist may be closed.”