Sexual orientation and sex-related substance use: The unexplored role of bisexuality.

Sexual orientation and sex-related substance use: The unexplored role of bisexuality. Behav Res Ther. 2018 Dec 24;: Authors: Taggart TC, Rodriguez-Seijas C, Dyar C, Elliott JC, Thompson RG, Hasin DS, Eaton NR Abstract Using alcohol and drugs in sexual contexts is associated with negative health consequences, including increased risk for HIV/STIs, sexual victimization, unplanned pregnancies, and overdose. Evidence suggests millions of adults regularly use alcohol in sexual contexts, thus increasing their risk for these consequences. However, no nationally representative estimates exist for rates of regular alcohol and/or drug use in sexual contexts. Additionally, previous studies suggest sexual minority individuals are more likely to use substances in sexual contexts than heterosexuals; however, none of these studies examined for multiple dimensions or subgroups of sexual orientation. Thus, using two distinct datasets-one large, nationally representative sample (N = 17,491) and an Internet-collected convenience sample (N = 1001)-we explored the associations between sexual orientation (dimensions and subgroups) and rates of regular sex-related alcohol and/or drug use in American adults. Results showed that sexual minority individuals were significantly more likely to report regularly using substances in sexual contexts compared to heterosexuals; however, results varied based on dimension of sexual orientation and by sex. Across...
Source: Behaviour Research and Therapy - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Behav Res Ther Source Type: research