Alcohol and risky sex: in search of an elusive connection. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Alcohol and risky sex: in search of an elusive connection.

Med Anthropol. 1992 May;14(2-4):323-63. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/93218499
Bolton R; Vincke J; Mak R; Dennehy E; Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711.

Abstract: Since the publication of the 1986 article by Stall, McKusick, Wiley, Coates and Ostrow, the conclusion that drinking alcohol prior to or during erotic encounters increases the probability of engaging in high-risk sexual behavior has been widely accepted, despite some contradictory findings from research on this hypothesis. This paper presents the results of tests of the alcohol/risky-sex hypothesis in a cohort of gay men in Flanders, Belgium. Failing to find evidence to support the hypothesis of a general effect of alcohol on sexual risk taking, we argue that previous conclusions on this matter must be viewed with extreme caution, especially in light of the implications that this failure to replicate has for AIDS prevention programs. Cultural, social, and methodological factors that could account for this failure to replicate are discussed in the context of a review of the literature on this hypothesis.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*TRANSMISSION Adult Alcohol Drinking/*ADVERSE EFFECTS Belgium Cohort Studies *Homosexuality Human Male Middle Age *Risk-Taking Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDtransmissionadultalcoholdrinking/KWDadverseeffectsbelgiumcohortstudiesKWDhomosexualityhumanmalemiddleageKWDrisk-takingsupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tjournalarticle
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M9370957

Copyright © 1993 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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