Alcohol, sexual arousal, and intentions to use condoms in young men: Applying alcohol myopia theory to risky sexual behavior.

Abstract

Data from 7 studies were aggregated to examine how reported sexual arousal and alcohol intoxication interact to affect attitudes and intentions toward engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse in college-age men (N = 358). When participants were in a sober or placebo condition, their self-reports of sexual arousal had no effect on their responses. When participants were intoxicated, however, those who felt sexually aroused reported more favorable attitudes, thoughts, and intentions toward having unprotected sex than did those who did not feel aroused. These findings support alcohol myopia theory (C. M. Steele & R. A. Josephs, 1990), which states that alcohol intoxication restricts attentional capacity so that people are highly influenced by the most salient cues in their environment. It is suggested that sexual arousal is a powerful internal cue that interacts with alcohol intoxication to enhance attitudes and intentions toward risky sexual behaviors.

Alcohol use, partner type, and risky sexual behavior among college students: Findings from an event-level study

“…Thus, sexual encounters with a steady partner may not induce the "inhibitory conflict" necessary to result in disinhibited behavior (MacDonald et al, 2000). In such contexts, norms for sexual safety are likely to be well established between partners (e.g., Macaluso et al, 2000;Semple, Patterson, & Grant, 2003).…”

“…Without alcohol, encounters involving non-primary partners often activate high levels of sexual restraint and inhibition of highly desired behaviors because of reduced partner familiarity and concerns about a partner's sexual history (Macaluso, Demand, Artz, & Hook, 2000). In such circumstances, alcohol may lead to unsafe sex by narrowing attentional focus to the most salient aspects of the sexual situation (e.g., pleasurable sex without a condom) while reducing a person's capacity to focus on distal consequences of engaging in a desired behavior (MacDonald, MacDonald, Zanna, & Fong, 2000). In contrast, for couples in a committed relationship, norms for condom use are typically well established, with most partners opting for sex without a condom (Corbin & Fromme, 2002).…”

“…In support of alcohol myopia theory, experimental laboratory studies with college students indicate greater intentions to engage in sexual risk behavior (Abbey, Saenz, Parkhill, & Hayman, 2006;MacDonald, Zanna, & Fong, 1996) and less ability to delay rewards when drinking than sober control participants (Ortner, MacDonald, & Olmstead, (Macaluso, Demand, Artz, & Hook, 2000). In such circumstances, alcohol may lead to unsafe sex by narrowing attentional focus to the most salient aspects of the sexual situation (e.g., pleasurable sex without a condom) while reducing a person's capacity to focus on distal consequences of engaging in a desired behavior (MacDonald, MacDonald, Zanna, & Fong, 2000). In contrast, for couples in a committed relationship, norms for condom use are typically well established, with most partners opting for sex without a condom (Corbin & Fromme, 2002).…”

Alcohol use and risky sexual behavior among college students and youth: evaluating the evidence.

“…Results showed that only those subjects who were both intoxicated and aroused reported stronger intentions to have unprotected Results of two recent studies lend strong support to the importance of instigating and inhibiting cues in the immediate situation. In one study (MacDonald et al, 2000b), male undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (no alcohol control, placebo, intoxicated) and sex. Presumably, intoxicated subjects had sufficient cogni tive capacity to process arousal cues, but unlike their sober counterparts, lacked sufficient capacity to process simulta neously more remote inhibiting cues.…”

Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of HIV Infection and AIDS

“…A history alcohol use has been correlated with a lifetime tendency toward high-risk sexual behaviors, including multiple sex partners, unprotected intercourse, sex with high-risk partners (e.g., injection drug users, prostitutes), and the exchange of sex for money or drugs (Avins et al, 1994;Boscarino et al, 1995;Malow et al, 2001;Windle, 1997).There may be many reasons for this association. For example, alcohol can act directly on the brain to reduce inhibitions and diminish risk perception (Cooper, 2002;Fromme et al, 1999;MacDonald et al, 2000). Decreasing alcohol use among HIV patients not only reduces the medical and psychiatric consequences associated with alcohol consumption but also decreases other drug use and risky sexual behavior and hence reduces HIV transmission (Lucas et al, 2002).…”