Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
AIDS and Behavior
Published in: AIDS and Behavior 1/2008

01-01-2008 | Original Paper

Moderating Effects of Age on the Alcohol and Sexual Risk Taking Association: An Online Daily Diary Study of Men Who have Sex with Men

Author: Brian Mustanski

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 1/2008

Login to get access

Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for the majority of HIV/AIDS diagnoses and data suggest infection rates are rising. Identification of factors that increase the risk of infection is key to the development of effective prevention programs. Previous research has been inconsistent regarding the link between alcohol consumption and sexual risk taking among MSM. Daily reports of alcohol consumption and sexual behavior were completed for up to 30 days by 143 HIV negative MSM recruited online. This resulted in 2,887 daily reports of number of sex partners and 549 episodes of sex. Independent variables included age, number of standard drinks consumed, and partner type. Outcome variables included sex with a partner, a composite sexual risk variable, and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). Alcohol consumption significantly increased the odds of having sex and had a significant positive association with the sexual risk composite variable. Age was a significant moderator of the association between alcohol consumption and sexual risk taking, with the effects of alcohol increasing with age. For example, at the 75%tile of age (37 years old), the odds of UAI increase from ∼0.2 to 0.35 as the number of alcoholic drinks increases from zero to seven. Partner type did not have significant effects. Daily reports of alcohol consumption had a significant within-person association with sexual risk behaviors, particularly among older MSM. Findings highlight the importance of measuring individual differences as moderators of the association between alcohol and risky sexual behavior.
Literature
CDC. (2006). HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men. Atlanta, GA: US DHHS.
Colfax, G., Vittinghoff, E., Husnik, M. J., McKirnan, D., Buchbinder, S., Koblin, B., et al. (2004). Substance use and sexual risk: A participant- and episode-level analysis among a cohort of men who have sex with men. American Journal of Epidemiology, 159, 1002–1012.CrossRefPubMed
Cooper, M. L. (2002). Alcohol use and risky sexual behavior among college students and youth: Evaluating the evidence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 14, 101–117.
Cooper, M. L. (2006). Does drinking promote risky sexual behavior? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15, 19.CrossRef
Dermen, K. H., & Cooper, M. L. (2000). Inhibition conflict and alcohol expectancy as moderators of alcohol’s relationship to condom use. Experimental Clinical Psychopharmacology, 8, 198–206.CrossRef
Fortenberry, J. D., Orr, D. P., Katz, B. P., & Brizendine, E. J. (1995). Sex under the influence among adolescent females—Patterns of relationships with risky sexual-behavior. Pediatric Research, 37, A5–A5.
Fortenberry, J. D., Orr, D. P., Katz, B. P., Brizendine, E. J., & Blythe, M. J. (1997). Sex under the influence—A diary self-report study of substance use and sexual behavior among adolescent women. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 24, 313–319.CrossRefPubMed
Gillmore, M., Morrison, D., Leigh, B. C., Hoppe, M., Gaylord, J., & Rainey, D. (2002). Does “high = high risk”? An event-based analysis of the relationship between substance use and unprotected anal sex among gay and bisexual men. AIDS and Behavior, 6, 361–370.CrossRef
Gold, R. S., & Skinner, M. J. (1992). Situational factors and thought processes associated with unprotected intercourse in young gay men. AIDS, 6, 1021–1030.CrossRefPubMed
Gosling, S. D., Vazire, S., Srivastava, S., & John, O. P. (2004). Should we trust web-based studies? A comparative analysis of six preconceptions about internet questionnaires. American Psychologist, 59, 93–104.CrossRefPubMed
Hays, R. B., Paul, J., Ekstrand, M., Kegeles, S. M., Stall, R., & Coates, T. J. (1997). Actual versus perceived HIV status, sexual behaviors and predictors of unprotected sex among young gay and bisexual men who identify as HIV-negative, HIV-positive and untested. Aids, 11, 1495–1502.CrossRefPubMed
Hendershot, C. S., & George, W. H. (2007). Alcohol and sexuality research in the AIDS era: Trends in publication activity, target populations and research design. AIDS and Behavior, 11, 217–226.CrossRefPubMed
Hirshfield, S., Remien, R. H., Humberstone, M., Walavalkar, I., & Chiasson, M. A. (2004). Substance use and high-risk sex among men who have sex with men: A national online study in the USA. AIDS Care, 16, 1036–1047.CrossRefPubMed
Hunt, A. J., Weatherburn, P., Hickson, F. C., Davies, P. M., McManus, T. J., & Coxon, A. P. (1993). Changes in condom use by gay men. AIDS Care, 5, 439–448.CrossRefPubMed
Irwin, T. W., Morgenstern, J., Parsons, J. T., Wainberg, M., & Labouvie, E. (2006). Alcohol and sexual HIV risk behavior among problem drinking men who have sex with men: An event level analysis of timeline followback data. AIDS Behavior, 10, 299–307.CrossRef
Kandel, D., Chen, K., Warner, L. A., Kessler, R. C., & Grant, B. (1997). Prevalence and demographic correlates of symptoms of last year dependence on alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and cocaine in the U.S. population. Drug Alcohol Depend, 44, 11–29.CrossRefPubMed
Kalichman, S. C., Heckman, T., & Kelly, J. A. (1996). Sensation seeking as an explanation for the association between substance use and HIV-related risky sexual behavior. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 25, 141–154.CrossRefPubMed
Klausner, J. D., Levine, D. K., & Kent, C. K. (2004). Internet-based site-specific interventions for syphilis prevention among gay and bisexual men. AIDS Care, 16, 964–970.CrossRefPubMed
Koblin, B. A., Husnik, M. J., Colfax, G., Huang, Y., Madison, M., Mayer, K., et al. (2006). Risk factors for HIV infection among men who have sex with men. Aids, 20, 731–739.CrossRefPubMed
Leigh, B. C. (2002). Alcohol and condom use: A meta-analysis of event-level studies. Sexually Transmited Diseases, 29, 476–482.CrossRef
McFarlane, M., Kachur, R., Klausner, J. D., Roland, E., & Cohen, M. (2005). Internet-based health promotion and disease control in the 8 cities: Successes, barriers, and future plans. Sexually Transmitted Disease, 32, S60–S64.CrossRef
McKirnan, D. J., & Peterson, P. L. (1989). Alcohol and drug use among homosexual men and women: Epidemiology and population characteristics. Addictive Behavior, 14, 545–553.CrossRef
McKleroy, V. S., Galbraith, J. S., Cummings, B., Jones, P., Harshbarger, C., Collins, C., et al. (2006). Adapting evidence-based behavioral interventions for new settings and target populations. AIDS Education and Prevention, 1, 59–73.CrossRef
Misovich, S. J., Fisher, J. D., & Fisher, W. A. (1997). Close relationships and elevated HIV risk behavior: Evidence and possible underlying psychological processes. Review of General Psychology, 1, 72–107.CrossRef
Mustanski, B. (2007a). Are sexual partners met online associated with HIV/STI risk behaviors? Within-person and between-person data in conflict. Aids Care, 19, 822–827.CrossRefPubMed
Mustanski, B. (2007b). The influence of state and trait affect on HIV risk behaviors: A daily diary study of MSM. Health Psychology, 26, 618–626.CrossRefPubMed
Mustanski, B. S. (2001). Getting wired: Exploiting the internet for the collection of valid sexuality data. Journal of Sex Research, 38, 292–301.CrossRef
Mustanski, B. S. (2004). The relationship between mood and sexual interest, behavior, and risk-taking. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 65, 2640.
Mustanski, B. S. (2006). Methodological issues in online sexual health research. In P. Liamputtong (Ed.), Health research in cyberspace: Methodological, practical and personal experiences in doing health and social science researching online (Chapter 7). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Peterman, T. A., & Furness, B. W. (2007). The resurgence of syphilis among men who have sex with men. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 20, 54–59.CrossRefPubMed
Raudenbush, S. W., & Bryk, A. S. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Ross, M. W., Tikkanen, R., & Mansson, S. A. (2000). Differences between internet samples and conventional samples of men who have sex with men: Implications for research and HIV interventions. Social Science and Medicine, 51, 749–758.CrossRefPubMed
Shoptaw, S., & Frosch, D. (2000). Substance abuse treatment as HIV prevention for men who have sex with men. AIDS and Behavior, 4, 193–203.CrossRef
Skinner, W. F. (1994). The prevalence and demographic predictors of illicit and licit drug use among lesbians and gay men. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1307–1311.PubMedCrossRef
Stall, R., & Wiley, J. (1988). A comparison of alcohol and drug use patterns of homosexual and heterosexual men: The San Francisco men’s health study. Drug Alcohol Depend, 22, 63–73.CrossRefPubMed
Steele, C. M., & Josephs, R. A. (1990). Alcohol myopia. Its prized and dangerous effects. American Psychologist, 45, 921–933.CrossRefPubMed
Vanable, P. A., McKirnan, D. J., Buchbinder, S. P., Bartholow, B. N., Douglas, J. M. Jr., Judson, F. N., et al. (2004). Alcohol use and high-risk sexual behavior among men who have sex with men: The effects of consumption level and partner type. Health Psychology, 23, 525–532.CrossRefPubMed
Weatherburn, P., Davies, P. M., Hickson, F. C., Hunt, A. J., McManus, T. J., & Coxon, A. P. (1993). No connection between alcohol use and unsafe sex among gay and bisexual men. Aids, 7, 115–119.CrossRefPubMed
Weinhardt, L. S., & Carey, M. P. (2000). Does alcohol lead to sexual risk behavior? Findings from event-level research. Annual Review of Sex Research, 11, 125–157.PubMed
Wolitski, R. J., Valdiserri, R. O., Denning, P. H., & Levine, W. C. (2001). Are we headed for a resurgence of the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men? American Journal of Public Health, 91, 883–888.PubMed
Xia, Q., Osmond, D. H., Tholandi, M., Pollack, L., Zhou, W., Ruiz, J. D., et al. (2006). HIV prevalence and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 41, 238–245.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Moderating Effects of Age on the Alcohol and Sexual Risk Taking Association: An Online Daily Diary Study of Men Who have Sex with Men
Author
Brian Mustanski
Publication date
01-01-2008
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
AIDS and Behavior / Issue 1/2008
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-007-9335-3

Other articles of this Issue 1/2008

AIDS and Behavior 1/2008 Go to the issue

Original Paper

Consistent Condom Use Among Juvenile Detainees: The Role of Individual Differences, Social Bonding, and Health Beliefs

Erratum

Increased HIV Risk Associated with Criminal Justice Involvement among Men on Methadone

Original Paper

Emotional Support and Affect: Associations with Health Behaviors and Active Coping Efforts in Men Living with HIV

Review Paper

Estimating HIV Prevalence and Risk Behaviors of Transgender Persons in the United States: A Systematic Review

Original Paper

Optimal Recall Period and Response Task for Self-Reported HIV Medication Adherence

Original Paper

Increased HIV Risk Associated with Criminal Justice Involvement among Men on Methadone
Live Webinar | 27-06-2024 | 18:00 (CEST)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Reserve your place

Live: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

WHO estimates that half of all patients worldwide are non-adherent to their prescribed medication. The consequences of poor adherence can be catastrophic, on both the individual and population level.

Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.

Prof. Kevin Dolgin
Prof. Florian Limbourg
Prof. Anoop Chauhan
Developed by: Springer Medicine
Obesity Clinical Trial Summary

At a glance: The STEP trials

Read more

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.

Developed by: Springer Medicine

Highlights from the ACC 2024 Congress

Year in Review: Pediatric cardiology

Pediatric Cardiology Video

Watch Dr. Anne Marie Valente present the last year's highlights in pediatric and congenital heart disease in the official ACC.24 Year in Review session.

Year in Review: Pulmonary vascular disease

Cardiopulmonary Comorbidity Video

The last year's highlights in pulmonary vascular disease are presented by Dr. Jane Leopold in this official video from ACC.24.

Year in Review: Valvular heart disease

Valvular Heart Disease Video

Watch Prof. William Zoghbi present the last year's highlights in valvular heart disease from the official ACC.24 Year in Review session.

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Heart Failure Video

Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discusses last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Heart Failure Video

Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discusses last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

Watch now

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

16-04-2024 Type 2 Diabetes News

Incentivised to exercise

11-04-2024 Lifestyle Modifications News

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

10-04-2024 Myocardial Infarction News

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page

Image Credits