Women's Perceptions of Alcohol-Related Sexual Disinhibition: Personality and Sexually-Related Alcohol Expectancies

Abstract

Young adults frequently use alcohol prior to engaging in sexual activity (Grello, Welsh, & Harper, 2006) possibly due to expectancies relating to alcohol use and sexuality. When women engage in alcohol-use behaviors they are likely to be perceived as sexually available and promiscuous (Blume, 1991;Parks & Scheidt, 2000). The current study examined the relationships between young women's feminine gender-role attributes, erotophobia-erotophilia, and endorsement of sexually-related alcohol expectancies. Using surveys and focus groups, we investigated perceptions of the relationship between alcohol use and women's sexuality. Findings demonstrated a negative relationship between feminine gender-role and sexually-related alcohol expectancies. Free-response data indicated that sexual motives contributed to alcohol use. Participants emphasized that alcohol lowered inhibitions and increased the likelihood of engaging in sexual behaviors. Erotophobia-erotophilia influenced the pattern of qualitative response themes such that erotophobes were more likely to emphasize that alcohol contributed to increased sexual confidence and decreased nervousness.

Alcohol Consumption and Negative Sex-Related Consequences among College Women: The Moderating Role of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies

“…This may be related to college women's beliefs about the interaction between alcohol consumption and sexual behavior, or their sex-related alcohol expectancies (Abbey, McAuslan, Ross, & Zawacki, 1999;Benson, Gohm, & Gross, 2007). For instance, women have reported that alcohol allows them to avoid negative social perceptions and gender-related sanctions for sexual behavior (Peralta, 2010;Smith, Toadvine, & Kennedy, 2009); thus, if college women believe that consuming alcohol lowers their sexual inhibition and enhances their sexual risk taking (Benson et al, 2007;Messman-Moore et al, 2013), they may feel that drinking affords them social permission to engage in risky sexual behavior that would not be socially acceptable without the influence of alcohol. In addition, college students tend to overestimate how often their same-sex peers engage in risky sexual behavior, and norm perceptions have been positively correlated with actual behavior (Lewis, Lee, Patrick, & Fossos, 2007;Lewis, Litt, Cronce, Blayney, & Gilmore, 2014).…”

Implications of sleep and energy drink use for health disparities

“…For example, adverse sexual consequences (e.g., unwanted pregnancy, shaming, coercion/victimization) tend to fall more heavily upon women, who are commonly subjected to more severe physical risk and cultural stigmatization if they engage in sexual activity outside of a conventionally sanctioned relationship . Women are also perceived as more sexually accessible when drinking, which places them at particular risk for unwanted sexual contact. This risk is normally offset to some extent by compensatory vigilance; compared to men, women report more effective use of protective behavioral strategies against overdrinking and unintended sex‐related drinking outcomes .…”

Do sexual expectancies and inhibitions predict high-risk sexual behaviours? Evidence from a cross-sectional survey among young psychoactive substance users in the informal settlements of Kampala, Uganda

“…This as well, could be attributed to the effects of psychoactive substance use of sexual urge, desire, and anticipated expectancies such as better sexual performance. There is evidence for instance that alcohol makes women more sensuous and more romantic (58). It could be this feeling that propels young PSU to further engage in sexual intercourse when intoxicated.…”