A descriptive analysis of where and with whom lesbian versus bisexual women drink

Abstract

Purpose Sexual minority women (SMW) are at increased risk for alcohol use disorders and related problems. Social context (e.g., where and with whom one drinks) has been identified as an important factor associated with drinking behavior, but little is known about social context among SMW. An improved understanding of social context among SMW has the potential to inform efforts to reduce problematic drinking and its consequences in this high-risk population. Methods We examined where and with whom SMW drink in a national sample recruited via social media (N = 1,057). Results SMW reported more frequent drinking in private locations (compared to public locations), with friends and romantic partners (compared to family members and strangers), and in locations with both heterosexuals and sexual minorities (compared to mostly or exclusively sexual minorities). Additionally, lesbians reported more frequent drinking in bars and in locations with more sexual minorities compared to bisexual women. Conclusion Interventions to reduce problematic drinking among SMW may benefit from addressing social context.

Bisexual women’s reports of descriptive drinking norms for heterosexual, bisexual, and lesbian women.

“…Their perceptions of higher drinking norms for heterosexual women may be attributed to the drinking context where lesbian and heterosexual women drink. For example, sexual minority women (lesbian and bisexual women) report drinking in private locations (e.g., home, friends’ home) more frequently than in public locations (e.g., bars, restaurants; Feinstein, Bird, Fairlie, Lee, & Kaysen, 2017). Because public locations such as bars are associated with greater alcohol use (Braitman, Linden-Carmichael, & Henson, 2017; Rodriguez et al, 2016), bisexual women may perceive that heterosexuals drink more because they are more likely to drink at these public locations.…”

State-Level Alcohol Environments and Sexual Identity Disparities in Binge Drinking in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

“…Links between hazardous alcohol use among sexual minority adults and experiences of minority stressors include perceived discrimination, 11,12 and interpersonal violence. 13,14 Differences in community norms around drinking, including differences in where and with whom sexual minority and heterosexual individuals drink, 15,16 the role that alcohol plays in the LGBT community and identity development, 17,18 and the use of alcohol to cope with general and minority stressors, 19 have also been studied. However, factors at all levels of the social ecology (individual, interpersonal, community, and policy) shape differential risk for binge drinking, yet few studies have examined policy-level factors and their relationship with differences in binge drinking across sex and sexual orientation.…”