We designed the current study to assess the rates of risky sexual behavior among women bar drinkers, as well as differences in predictors of risky sexual behavior, based on partner type—new or regular.
Method:
We conducted comprehensive, in-person interviews with 241 young women who reported weekly drinking in bars. Several constructs (e.g., individual characteristics, social and sexual behavior, substance use) that we hypothesized would predict risky sexual behavior were assessed in two separate hierarchical regression models for new and regular sexual partners.
Results:
Rates of risky sexual behavior were significantly higher with regular partners compared with new partners. Increased risky sexual behavior with new partners was significantly associated with having had a riskier regular partner in the past 6 months, lower sexually transmitted disease (STD)/pregnancy prevention assertiveness, increased expectations of sexual disinhibition when drinking, a greater history of prior sexual risk taking, and more frequent drinking in bars. Increased risky sexual behavior with a regular partner was significantly associated with being older, the use of oral contraceptives, lower assertiveness for STD/pregnancy prevention, a greater history of prior sexual risk taking, and increased drug use.
Conclusions:
Among young women who regularly drink in bars, sexual risk taking was significantly higher with regular partners than with new partners. The predictors of risky sexual behavior differed based on partner type. These findings have implications for including information about the role of alcohol, drinking context, and drug use, as well as individual difference characteristics and partner type in targeted prevention strategies to reduce sexual risk taking.
Young women report drinking in bars as a way to socialize, meet men for potential dating or sexual partnerships, and feel good about themselves (Parks et al., 1998). The combination of alcohol and heightened sexual expectations associated with the bar context has the potential to increase the likelihood that women will engage in sexual activity with a new (i.e., casual) partner. Intercourse with a casual partner has been characterized as a form of “indiscriminate” risky sexual behavior (Cooper, 2002).
Heavy drinking and drug use associated with the bar environment increase the likelihood that women who frequently drink in bars will engage in indiscriminate sexual activity when intoxicated (Buddie et al., 2003; Parks, 1999). In addition, some studies have found an association between heavy alcohol and drug use, and reduced use of condoms (Cooper, 2002; Leigh et al., 2008; Roberts and Kennedy, 2006); therefore, women bar drinkers are also more likely to engage in sex without the use of protection against HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). We designed the current study to assess differences in predictors of risky sexual behavior based on partner type—new or regular—among a sample of women who reported weekly drinking in bars. We defined risky sexual behavior as sexual intercourse without the use of a condom.
