Abstract
Higher levels of alcohol use have consistently been related to higher rates of sexual risk taking; however, it is not clear whether this relationship is causal. This study examined the concurrent and predictive associations among alcohol use-related sexual enhancement expectancies, drinking alcohol before engaging in sex, and casual sex during the transition into emerging adulthood and whether these associations differed for men and women. Data came from 590 men and women who were interviewed 3 times at 6-month intervals after high school. Growth curve analyses indicated that alcohol-related sexual enhancement expectancies were related to casual sex indirectly through drinking before sex but did not predict change in either of these behaviors. However, increases in drinking before sex predicted increases in casual sex over time. The findings provide some support for prevention programs that focus on alcohol-related sexual expectancies to reduce sexually transmitted illnesses among emerging adults.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 702-707 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Psychology of Addictive Behaviors |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2009 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Keywords
- alcohol
- drugs
- emerging adulthood
- high-risk sex
- sexual expectancies