Alcohol and drug abuse and risky sexual behaviours in young adult women. (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Castelo-Branco, Camil; Parera, Nuria; Mendoza, Nicolás; Pérez-Campos, Ezequiel; Lete, Iñaki; the CEA group
• Is Part Of: Gynecological endocrinology. Volume 30:Number 8(2014:Aug.)
• Page Start: 581
• Page End: 586
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: Endocrine gynecology -- Periodicals; Generative organs, Female -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.1
• DOI: 10.3109/09513590.2014.910190
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0951-3590

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Objective:</italic> To assess alcohol abuse as a predictor of risky sexual behavior among adolescents and young adult women, a high-risk population for unintended pregnancies.</p> <p> <italic>Subjects:</italic> Totally 3163 adolescent and young adult women, 18–29 years, were assessed on sociodemographics, alcohol and drug use and risky sexual behaviors.</p> <p> <italic>Interventions:</italic> Participants answered a structured questionnaire on their leisure habits, drug and alcohol consumption, contraception and sexual behaviors.</p> <p> <italic>Results:</italic> Most of the young adult women perceive that sexuality is an important part of their life but not a main concern (77.6%) and that alcohol removes the barriers to have sex (62.3%). Additionally, 77.0% claimed that contraception had "a lot" (53.4%) and "quite" (23.6%) influence on the quality of their sexuality. However, up to a 38.4% of the interviewed women had had sex without using any contraception and 29.6% of them acknowledged that had taken alcohol and of these, 40.7% said that alcohol was responsible for not using contraception. Alcohol abuse predicted an increase in risky sexual behaviours (4.45 CI: 2.01–9.75, <italic>p</italic> < 0.0001). The effect of alcohol was independent of age.</p> <p> <italic>Conclusions:</italic> These findings suggest that contraception-related behavioural interventions for young adult women should discuss the link between alcohol and sexual risk behavior.</p> </abstract>