Alcohol Use Predicts Number of Sexual Partners for Female but not Male STI Clinic Patients

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that greater alcohol involvement will predict number of sexual partners to a greater extent for women than for men, and that the hypothesized sex-specific, alcohol—sexual partner associations will hold when controlling for alternative sex-linked explanations (i.e., depression and drug use). We recruited 508 patients (46% female, 67% African American) from a public STI clinic. Participants reported number of sexual partners, drinks per week, maximum drinks per day, frequency of heavy drinking; they also completed the AUDIT-C and a measure of alcohol problems. As expected, men reported more drinking and sexual partners. Also as expected, the association between alcohol use and number of partners was significant for women but not for men, and these associations were not explained by drug use or depression. A comprehensive prevention strategy for women attending STI clinics might include alcohol use reduction.

The impact of an alcohol harm reduction intervention on interpersonal violence and engagement in sex work among female sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya: Results from a randomized controlled trial

“…Among FSWs in Kenya, binge drinkers were more likely to report having unprotected sex and having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) than non-binge drinkers (Chersich et al, 2007). In addition, greater alcohol use has been associated with greater number of sex partners among female STI clinic patients (Carey et al, 2015). …”

Substance use and STI acquisition: Secondary analysis from the AWARE study

“…Both men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women (WSW) have higher rates of substance use than their heterosexual counterparts (Cochran et al, 2004, McCabe et al, 2009) and the relationship between particular substances used and sexual risk varies across gender and partner gender (LaBrie et al, 2005; Leigh et al, 2008; Scott-Sheldon et al, 2009). A 2016 study found that heavy alcohol use is associated with multiple partners for women and men who have sex with men (MSM) only, but not for heterosexual men, demonstrating how partner gender may impact the extent to which specific drugs increase sexual risk behaviors (Carey et al, 2016). A literature review exclusive to MSM showed that binge drinking and methamphetamine use are consistently associated with risky sexual behaviors and concluded that not enough research had been conducted with other substance types (Vosburgh et al, 2012).…”

Does it really matter which drug you choose? An examination of the influence of type of drug on type of risky sexual behavior

“…Considering the aforementioned challenges facing youth in the South, researchers have been compelled to identify variables that reliably predict RSBs within these populations. One variable frequently linked to RSBs is substance use (SU) (Carey, Senn, Walsh, Scott-Sheldon, & Carey, 2016; King, Nguyen, Kosterman, Bailey, & Hawkins, 2012; see Ritchwood, Ford, DeCoster, Sutton, & Lochman, 2015 for review; Tucker et al, 2014).…”

“…The study of the relation between SU and RSB is complex and has produced mixed findings; some studies have found strong relations between the two variables (e.g., Tucker et al, 2014) while others have shown more limited associations (e.g., Carey et al, 2016; Walsh, Fielder, Carey, & Carey, 2014). Contradictory findings are partially due to variations in the types of substances and RSBs examined, as well as differences in population-level characteristics (e.g., Leigh, Ames, & Stacy, 2008; Ritchwood et al, 2015).…”

“…Contradictory findings are partially due to variations in the types of substances and RSBs examined, as well as differences in population-level characteristics (e.g., Leigh, Ames, & Stacy, 2008; Ritchwood et al, 2015). As alcohol and marijuana tend to be the most commonly used substances among youth, the majority of studies on this topic have examined the effects of alcohol use on RSB (e.g., Carey et al, 2016), with fewer studies examining the effects of marijuana (e.g., Anderson & Stein, 2011) and other drug use (e.g., Pagano, Maietti, & Levine, 2014) on RSB among youth. While examinations of the impact of single SU on RSB can be informative, little is known regarding potential differences in the impact of certain types of substances on certain types of RSBs and how these relations might change over time within a target population.…”