1. R. Ross MacLean, Gabrielle E. Shishkoff & Stephen J. Wilson
Planned disinhibition? Risky sexual behavior, problematic alcohol use, and gender
R. Ross MacLean, Gabrielle E. Shishkoff & Stephen J. Wilson
Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Risky anal sex acts
Intent to engage in RSB
Impulsive sexual behavior
Risky sex acts
Sexual risk taking with uncommitted partners
Total RSB β t
Age
-0.05
-0.71
-0.04
-0.07
-1.21
-0.02
-0.39
-0.85
0.03
0.61
Race
-0.30
-0.34
-0.31
-0.58
1.14
-0.01
0.07
1.33
Gender
0.02
0.27
-0.22
-4.37**
-0.08
-1.58
0.04
0.71
-0.03
-0.53
AUDIT total
-0.10
0.99
6.06**
0.66
3.91**
0.17
0.87
0.65
3.67**
0.49
2.81**
Gender x AUDIT
0.21
9.63
-0.42
-2.53*
-0.18
0.20
0.98
-0.09
-0.51
0.10
0.56
R squared
0.44
0.41
0.16
0.33
0.37
Introduction
Results: Hierarchical regression
Risky sexual behavior is associated with multiple negative health outcomes including increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancy, as well as adverse psychological consequences. Young adults in a university environment are particularly susceptible to high-risk sexual behavior and other disinhibited behaviors such as alcohol consumption. Recent research has highlighted a relationship between alcohol consumption and prevalence of risky sexual behavior; however, very few studies have comprehensively investigated the relationship between alcohol and sexual behavior. The current study seeks to address this knowledge gap by investigating the association between problematic drinking and a number of high-risk sexual behaviors in a young adult population.
Methods: Experimental design
AUDIT = Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; RSB = Risky Sexual Behavior; * = p < .05; ** = p < .01
College students (n = 238; mean age = 19.31, SD = 1.65; 50% male; 71.4% Caucasian) were recruited for a study investigating risk taking. Participants completed study procedures for course credit. As part of a battery of questionnaires, participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; Saunders et al., 1993) and the Sexual Risk Survey (Turchick & Garske, 2009).
Notably, the Sexual Risk Survey is a measure risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) for which participants indicate the number of times they have engaged in a specific behavior in the preceding six months. In addition to a total score, the SRS also can be broken down into 5 subfactors: sexual risk taking with uncommitted partners, risky sex acts, impulsive sexual behaviors, intent to engage in risky sexual behaviors, and risky anal sex acts.
Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics v.21. To account for positive skewness, RSB data were logarithmically (i.e., log10) transformed prior to analysis. Individual hierarchical regression models were performed with RSB subfactors as an outcome variable and gender and AUDIT score (mean centered) as predictors. Age and race (1=White, 0=Other) were entered as demographic covariates.
Intent to engage in RSB: Interaction
Conclusions
Problematic alcohol predicted a number of RSBs including overall RSB, intent to engage in RSB, impulsive sexual behavior, and sexual risk taking with uncommitted partners.
Interestingly, problematic alcohol use did not predict risky sex acts, a subfactor that includes having sex without a condom and RSB under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Gender differences were observed in the intent to engage in RSB with males who are high in problematic drinking having the highest intent to engage in RSB.
Results highlight the importance of a comprehensive evaluation of RSB beyond the co-occurrence alcohol consumption and risky sex acts (e.g., condom use).
Funding: Dr. Wilson’s research is supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under BIRCWH award number K12HD055882, ‘Career Development Program in Women’s Health Research at Penn State.’   The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
References cited:
Saunders, J.B., Aasland, O.G., Babor, T.F., De La Fuente, J.R., & Grant, M. (1993). Development of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption - II. Addiction, 88,
Turchik, J. A., & Garske, J. P. (2009). Measurement of sexual risk taking among college students. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38(6), 936–948. doi: /s z.