The moderating effects of cannabis use and decision making on the relationship between conduct disorder and risky sexual behavior

Abstract

Risky sexual behavior (RSB) is a current public health concern affecting adolescents and young adults. Conduct disorder, cannabis use and decision making (DM) ability are interrelated constructs that are relevant to RSB; however, there is little research on the association of DM and RSB. Participants were 79 cannabis users assessed through self-report measures of RSB and mental health, and a timeline follow-back procedure for substance use. DM ability was assessed via the Iowa Gambling Task. We found that more conduct disorder symptoms accounted for unique variance in measures of overall RSB and an earlier initiation of oral sex, even when taking into account DM and cannabis use. Amount of cannabis use and DM ability moderated the relationships between number of conduct disorder symptoms and number of oral sex partners and age of initiation for vaginal sex. An increase in conduct disorder symptoms was associated with more oral sex partners when DM was poor and fewer partners when DM was better, however this relationship was only present at higher levels of cannabis use. Furthermore, when DM was poor, more conduct disorder symptoms predicted a younger age of initiation of vaginal sex, with the age decreasing as amount of cannabis use increased. Determining how DM influences RSB may assist in the identification of novel treatment approaches to reduce engagement in RSB.

Risky sexual behavior among adolescents: The role of decision-making, problems from cannabis use and externalizing disorder symptoms

“…Currently, the literature on the association between decision-making and RSB have mixed results. First, poorer performance on the IGT has been found to moderate the association between substance use and other psychosocial factors and RSB, such that greater substance use is associated with more RSB (Schuster, Crane, Mermelstein, & Gonzalez, 2012;Ross, Coxe, Schuster, Rojas, & Gonzalez, 2015). Furthermore, Golub and colleagues (2012) reported that among a group of substance dependent adults, those who performed poorly on executive function tasks engaged in the greatest number of high risk sexual behavior and high risk sexual behavior under the influence.…”

Cannabis Use, Medication Management and Adherence Among Persons Living with HIV

“…cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, etc.) across a participant’s lifespan (39– 41). The Substance Use Disorders Module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders was administered to assess substance abuse and dependence (42).…”

S100A10 identified in a genome-wide gene × cannabis dependence interaction analysis of risky sexual behaviours

“…Cannabis users are more likely to report sexual intercourse without the use of birth control, casual sex and multiple sexual partners than nonusers. [3][4][5][6][7][8] As consequences of these behaviours, cannabis users have a greater risk than nonusers of STDs and unintended pregnancies. 9 Many studies have shown that cannabis abusers tend to exhibit neurocognitive deficits in mechanisms associated with impulsivity, suggesting that cannabis abuse affects brain structures involved in inhibitory control 10 -effects that may persist after many days of abstinence.…”