Alcohol Tied to Risky Sex Among HIV-Positive Men: Study

HIV-positive men who see alcohol as a way to enhance their sex lives may be more likely to have unprotected sex, researchers report in the August issue of Annals of Behavioral Medicine (2002;24:229-235). Their study of about 200 men with HIV found that those who connected alcohol and sexual pleasure were more likely than others to have had unprotected sex in the past three months. In addition, the tendency to be a "thrill seeker" was tied to higher odds of recent unprotected sex. The findings indicate that HIV prevention efforts should begin to target a new group: people with the virus who turn to alcohol to make their sex lives better.

"For example... challenging beliefs about the effects of alcohol on sexual performance and arousal can be incorporated into existing risk reductions interventions," wrote Dr. Seth C. Kalichman and colleagues at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

In the study, researchers surveyed HIV-positive men in one US city on their sexual behavior and views on, and use of, alcohol and drugs. They also judged whether a participant was a "sensation seeker" through questions on adventurous behavior such as bungee jumping and parachuting. The investigators found that both a thrill-seeking inclination and a tendency to believe alcohol makes sex better were linked to higher odds of unprotected sex. Overall, 28 percent of the men studied said they'd had unprotected sex in the past three months.

The researchers pointed out that past studies have shown some HIV-positive men turn to alcohol as a way to cope with stress -- including the stress of possibly transmitting the virus through sex. Helping these men find other ways of dealing with their problems might in turn reduce risky sexual behavior, the authors suggest. Such tactics, they conclude, "should be given priority in the next generation of interventions to reduce HIV transmission risks among HIV-infected persons."

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