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Risk of unprotected sex from polysubstance use greater for young women
Research in a young-adult population indicates that the risk of unprotected sex is greater with dual use of alcohol and marijuana, and that women appear to face a higher level of risk than men.
Published online last week in The American Journal on Addictions, the study involved 290 adults ages 18 to 25 who reported alcohol or marijuana use. The research found that for women, the likelihood of having sex without use of a condom increased by a factor of 2.12 on alcohol use days, 1.89 on marijuana use days, and 3.39 on dual use days.
The respective numbers for men were only 1.03 on alcohol use days, 1.08 on marijuana use days, and 1.71 on dual use days. The researchers concluded that young women may be especially susceptible to the influence of alcohol and/or marijuana use on sexual behavior.
