Current rates of infection with HIV have been increasing among heterosexuals and women. Young adults seem to be especially at risk for HIV infection. The long-term goal of this research is to explain the relationship between the use of alcohol and the occurrence of HIV risky sex among young adult heterosexual men and women. Such knowledge is seen as essential to improvement of prevention interventions for reducing the incidence of HIV infection. The short-term aims of this research are: (1) to use formative research procedures to refine and develop role-play scenarios as part of the measurement of behavioral (condom use negotiation) skills in men and women; (2) to assess the effects of alcohol and person variables on risk perceptions and behavioral skills in young adult heterosexual women; (3) to extend the previous aim by including young adult participants of both sexes, multiple doses of alcohol, and a measure of information processing as part of the assessment protocol; and (4) to conduct exploratory path analyses of data from both experiments following a partial mediation model of the effects of alcohol on the occurrence of risky sex. The formative studies refining existing role-plays will include 30 heterosexual young adult men recruited from the community. Formative studies used to develop role-plays targeting women will include 35 heterosexual young adult community women. The resulting role-plays will be used as measures of behavioral skills with participants in the two experiments. In Experiment #1, 102 young adult heterosexual women will be assigned randomly to receive alcohol (BAC =.08%), placebo, or water in their second experimental session. The first session will include the measurement of several person variables. The primary dependent variables in this study will be perception of risk involved in engaging in risky sexual behaviors, and behavioral skills. Experiment #2 will include 128 (64 women, 64 men) heterosexual persons. It will extend the first experiment by including random assignment to low alcohol dose condition (BAC =.04%), and the inclusion of a divided attention task.
| Maisto, Stephen A; Carey, Michael P; Carey, Kate B et al. (2004) The relationship between alcohol and individual differences variables on attitudes and behavioral skills relevant to sexual health among heterosexual young adult men. Arch Sex Behav 33:571-84 |
| Maisto, Stephen A; Carey, Michael P; Carey, Kate B et al. (2002) The effects of alcohol and expectancies on risk perception and behavioral skills relevant to safer sex among heterosexual young adult women. J Stud Alcohol 63:476-85 |
