Study confirms alcohol can lead to unsafe sex

However the push and public perception against HIV has waned somewhat since its discovery in the 1980s and its incidence in developed countries, such as the US and UK has not been much reduced in the past decade. Obviously public health efforts need to be stepped up again.


There were uncertainties about the cause-and-effect relationship of heavy drinking and HIV infection. Researchers weren't sure if alcohol consumption caused HIV via unsafe sex, or whether certain personality traits in individuals, such as sensation-seeking or a disposition to risky behavior in general, would lead to both alcohol use and unsafe sex.


The study, published in the January 2012 issue of the journal Addiction, presents the results of 12 experiments that analyzed this cause-and-effect relationship in a more systematic way.


Researchers collated their results and discovered that alcohol consumption affects decision-making, and that this impact rises with the amount of alcohol consumed.


"In other words, the more you drink, the stronger becomes your intention to engage in unsafe sex," editors wrote in a summary published on the journal's website.


Researchers said unprotected sex is the most important pathway to HIV infection and therefore this research about the impact of alcohol should be included in HIV prevention materials.


The study examined the results of 12 experiments that tested the cause-and-effect relationship between unsafe sex and alcohol consumption, the journal's editors wrote. An increase in blood alcohol level of 0.1 mg/mL resulted in a 5% increase in the likelihood of engaging in unprotected sex, the study concluded.


"This result also helps explain why people at risk often show this behaviour despite better knowledge: alcohol is influencing their decision processes," said Dr. J. Rehm, the study's Principal Investigator.