Alcohol and risky sexual behavior: Event-based analyses among a sample of high-risk women

The effect of alcohol consumption on sexual behavior was examined in a sample of 123 heterosexually active single women who consume alcohol moderately to heavily. Via event-based methodology, women were asked to describe 2 recent sexual encounters with a new or occasional partner, 1 involving alcohol and 1 not involving alcohol. Women were significantly more likely to have sex with a partner they had just met in the encounter involving alcohol than in the encounter not involving alcohol. However, women were no less likely to discuss birth control or AIDS prevention during the alcohol encounter, nor did they perceive less risk of pregnancy, HIV, or sexually transmitted diseases in the alcohol encounter. Although women were more likely to use condoms if they had discussed birth control or HIV prevention, condom use was not affected by alcohol consumption.