Sexual risk taking among young adult dual alcohol and marijuana users

doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.12.026

Addictive Behaviors

Volume 35, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 533-536

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.12.026 Get rights and content

Abstract

Use of alcohol and marijuana among college students is common and use of these substances may increase the likelihood of risky sexual behavior. The present study found significant associations between risky sexual behavior and both mean BAC per drinking day and marijuana use intensity. However, hypothesized interactions between marijuana use and BAC were not supported. In addition, positive and negative urgency and premeditation were each significantly associated with the likelihood of risky sex. Substance use and facets of impulsivity and self-control exhibited direct associations with risky sexual behavior but hypothesized moderation effects were not supported. Associations between urgency and risky sexual behavior varied as a function of gender and trait positive affect.

Introduction

The prevalence of high-risk sexual behavior, marijuana use, and alcohol use are elevated among young adults (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2007). Associations between drinking and sexual behavior are complex and vary as a function of type of behavior (e.g., indiscriminant sex vs. condom nonuse), setting, and individual difference factors (Abbey et al., 2006, Cooper, 2006, MacDonald et al., 2000). Risky sexual behavior may be elevated among individuals who use both alcohol and marijuana.

Relative to individuals who use only alcohol, individuals using alcohol and marijuana drink more and experience higher levels of alcohol-related problems (Shillington & Clapp, 2002, Shillington & Clapp, 2006, Simons & Carey, 2006). Use of marijuana is associated with higher rates of unprotected sexual intercourse (Kingree, Braithwaite, & Woodring, 2000; Kingree & Betz, 2003). The increased risk of alcohol-related problems for dual users may not simply be due to higher consumption, since associations between alcohol consumption and problems are stronger among dual users (Simons & Carey, 2006, Simons et al., 2005).

Personality differences may underlie the increased risk of alcohol problems observed in dual users (Martin et al., 1996, Simons & Carey, 2006, Tarter et al., 2006). Alternatively, increased risk for alcohol-related problems may be a function of the acute effects of marijuana. Marijuana use is associated with impairment in cognitive processes relevant to risk taking (Pattij, Wiskerke, & Schoffelmeer, 2008). Thus, the two substances may have additive or synergistic effects on risk taking.

Impulsivity and self-control are heterogeneous constructs (Cyders & Smith, 2007, Evenden, 1999, Wills et al., 2006). The UPPS model derived the following four facets of impulsivity: urgency, premeditation, perseverance, and sensation seeking (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001). Urgency refers to the tendency to act rashly when distressed. Premeditation refers to the tendency to think before acting and to plan ahead. Perseverance refers to the tendency to continue to finish tasks that may prove difficult or tedious. Cyders et al. (2007) have added a dimension of positive urgency, a tendency to act rashly when experiencing positive emotion and arousal. Factor analysis of the dimensions indicates that positive and negative urgency load onto a higher-order urgency factor, while (lack of) premeditation and (lack of) perseverance load onto a higher-order factor reflecting deficits in conscientiousness (Cyders & Smith, 2007). These two higher-order dimensions bear similarity to models of self-control, which posit dimensions such as poor control and good self-control (Wills et al., 2006), reflexive and reflective systems (Lieberman, 2007), automatic and controlled processes (Wiers et al., 2007), and hot and cool cognition (Metcalfe & Mischel, 1999). One previous study reported significant prospective associations between risky sex and positive urgency, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking (Zapolski, Cyders, & Smith, 2009).

The current study examined whether risky sex was associated with frequency of drinking, mean BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) per drinking day, marijuana use, and impulsivity. We hypothesized that BAC and marijuana use would be positively associated with risky sex and that the association between BAC and risky sex would increase as a function of marijuana use. In addition, we hypothesized that the association between risky sex and both BAC and marijuana use would increase as a function of impulsivity. We examined four aspects of impulsive behavior and self-control: negative urgency, positive urgency, premeditation, and perseverance. Positive and negative urgency were hypothesized to be positively associated with risky sex. Premeditation and perseverance were expected to be negatively associated with risky sex. We examined moderation effects of gender. Finally, we tested whether urgency is associated with risky sex after controlling for trait affect and whether urgency increases associations between trait affect and risky sex.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants were 621 college students recruited from a state university. Women made up 66% of the sample. The sample ranged in age from 18-25 years (M = 20.21, SD = 1.47). Ninety-two percent of the participants were White, 2% Asian, 1% Black, 1% Native American/Alaskan Native, and 4% other or did not respond. Ninety-eight percent were non-Hispanic. Participants were recruited through e-mail and the student newspaper to complete an online questionnaire. Participants were assured of confidentiality.

Descriptive statistics

Statistics are reported for individuals who reported drinking at least once a week in the last six months (n = 484). These participants reported drinking 2.52 (SD = 1.30) days per week and a mean BAC per drinking day of 0.07 (SD = 0.07). The mean on the marijuana use intensity measure was 1.73 (SD = 4.62). Relative to participants who used alcohol but not marijuana, participants using both on a weekly basis (n = 141) drank more often (M = 2.90, SD = 1.53 vs. M = 2.36, SD = 1.16; t(208.94) = 3.85, p = .0002, and d =

Discussion

Results indicate that alcohol intoxication, marijuana use, and impulsivity each have unique associations with risky sexual behavior occurring while drinking. Hypothesized interactions between intoxication and marijuana use, as well as between impulsivity and substance use were not supported. Associations between negative and positive urgency and risky sex varied across gender. In addition, the associations between positive urgency and regretting sexual behavior varied as a function of trait

Role of Funding Sources

Not applicable.

Contributors

All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

All authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

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Short CommunicationSexual risk taking among young adult dual alcohol and marijuana users

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Participants

Descriptive statistics

Discussion

Role of Funding Sources

Contributors

Conflict of Interest

The effects of acute alcohol consumption, cognitive reserve, partner risk, and gender on sexual decision making

Journal of Studies on Alcohol

Affectivity and impulsivity: Temperament risk for adolescent alcohol involvement

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

Does drinking promote risky sexual behavior? A complex answer to a simple question

Current Directions in Psychological Science

Mood-based rash action and its components: Positive and negative urgency

Personality and Individual Differences

Integration of impulsivity and positive mood to predict risky behavior: Development and validation of a measure of positive urgency

Psychological Assessment

Brief alcohol screening and intervention for college students (BASICS): A harm reduction approach

Varieties of impulsivity

Psychopharmacology

Risky sexual behavior in relation to marijuana and alcohol use among African-American, male adolescent detainees and their female partners

Drug & Alcohol Dependence

Unprotected sex as a function of alcohol and marijuana use among adolescent detainees

Journal of Adolescent Health

Social cognitive neuroscience: A review of core processes

Annual Review of Psychology