Sociosexual Attitudes, Sociosexual Behaviors, and Alcohol Use

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective:Prior studies have demonstrated an association between high-risk sexual behavior and alcohol use, and there is emerging evidence that dating status and sexual behavior are related to risk for subsequent alcohol use. However, relatively little is known regarding the specific attitudinal or behavioral indicators of alcohol-related risk associated with sexual behavior. The present study distinguished between sociosexual attitudes and sociosexual behaviors, two aspects of sexual risk that may contribute to individual differences in drinking behavior. The primary hypothesis was that sociosexual attitudes would indirectly contribute to heavier drinking through greater engagement in sociosexual behaviors. Method: Study hypotheses were tested using baseline data from an alcohol challenge study in a sample of young adult heavy drinkers (n = 211, 73.7% male). Participants completed surveys assessing typical drinking behavior and both sociosexual attitudes and sociosexual behaviors. Results: As hypothesized, sociosexual attitudes were indirectly related to heavier alcohol use through greater engagement in sociosexual behavior. However, the relation between sociosexual attitudes and sociosexual behaviors was stronger for men, as were the indirect effects of sociosexual attitudes on drinking behavior. Conclusions: Engagement in sociosexual behavior appears to be a risk factor for heavy alcohol use. This highlights the potential utility of targeted alcohol interventions in settings associated with sexual risk, including sexually transmitted infection clinics and college campuses. Future research should explore the mechanisms through which sociosexual behaviors contribute to drinking outcomes to further inform targeted alcohol interventions and to bolster protective factors among those who engage in sociosexual behaviors. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 77, 629-637, 2016)

The Interplay Between Risky Sexual Behaviors and Alcohol Dependence: Genome-Wide Association and Neuroimaging Support for LHPP as a Risk Gene

“…The molecular mechanisms at the basis of psychiatric diseases may include pathogenic pathways that cause the increased RSB observed in psychiatric patients. Subjects with AD also present increased RSB (Chaney et al, 2016;Corbin et al, 2016;Khan et al, 2012;Tran et al, 2016). We hypothesize that AD affects the same molecular mechanisms responsible for RSB in psychiatric patients.…”

“…Risky sexual behaviors (RSB) associated with alcohol misuse contribute substantially to the~15 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) diagnosed annually in the United States (Chaney et al, 2016;Corbin et al, 2016;Khan et al, 2012;Tran et al, 2016). Neurobiological investigations have provided insight into some of the alcohol-related mechanisms of brain disinhibition that may lead to RSB (Spanagel, 2009).…”

Dangerous Liaisons: The Role of Hookups and Heavy Episodic Drinking in College Sexual Victimization

“…Many college students believe that alcohol disinhibits sex (Ven & Beck, 2009) and view drinking settings as places that facilitate casual sexual encounters (Lindgren, Pantalone, Lewis, & George, 2009). Sexual advances and activity are normalized in these drinking settings (Norris, Nurius, & Dimeff, 1996;Thompson & Cracco, 2008), which attract individuals seeking not only to drink but to meet potential sex partners (Corbin, Scott, & Treat, 2016). Women's vulnerability within these settings also reflects the effects of men's intoxication.…”

Risky Sexual Behaviors and Condom Use Barriers in Women with Substance Use Disorders, Iran

“…Genderrelated issues varying by country make this connection much more complex (11). In a risky context (i.e drug use), the alteration in sociosexulaity of women resulting in SRBs has been widely studied (12)(13)(14). These studies highlight the fact that gender-related dynamics are subject to change in the context of substance use (15).…”