Journal Article

Sexual Victimization, Alcohol Intoxication, Sexual-Emotional Responding, and Sexual Risk in Heavy Episodic Drinking Women

Norris, Jeanette, George, William H., Masters, N. Tatiana, Davis, Kelly Cue, Jacques-Tiura, Angela J., Gilmore, Amanda K., Nguyen, Hong V., Andrasik, Michele P., Kajumulo, Kelly F., Otto, Jacqueline M., Heiman, Julia R.

2014

Overview

This study used an experimental paradigm to investigate the roles of sexual victimization history and alcohol intoxication in young women’s sexual-emotional responding and sexual risk taking. A nonclinical community sample of 436 young women, with both an instance of heavy episodic drinking and some HIV/STI risk exposure in the past year, completed childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent/adult sexual assault (ASA) measures. A majority of them reported CSA and/or ASA, including rape and attempted rape. After random assignment to a high alcohol dose (.10 %) or control condition, participants read and projected themselves into an eroticized scenario of a sexual encounter involving a new partner. As the story protagonist, each participant rated her positive mood and her sexual arousal, sensation, and desire, and then indicated her likelihood of engaging in unprotected sex. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that ASA and alcohol were directly associated with heightened risk taking, and alcohol’s effects were partially mediated by positive mood and sexual desire. ASA was associated with attenuated sexual-emotional responding and resulted in diminished risk taking via this suppression. These are the first findings indicating that, compared to non-victimized counterparts, sexually victimized women respond differently in alcohol-involved sexual encounters in terms of sexual-emotional responding and risk-taking intentions. Implications include assessing victimization history and drinking among women seeking treatment for either concern, particularly women at risk for HIV, and alerting them to ways their histories and behavior may combine to exacerbate their sexual risks.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome / Adult / Alcohol / Alcohol abuse / Alcohol use / Alcoholic Intoxication - psychology / At risk populations / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Child / Child abuse & neglect / Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology / Child Sexual Abuse / Childhood / Crime Victims - psychology / Drinking behavior / Emotions / Ethanol - pharmacology / Female / Females / Help seeking behavior / HIV / HIV Infections / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Intoxication / Libido - drug effects / Medical treatment / Original Paper / Positive emotions / Psychology / Public Health / Rape / Rape - psychology / Risk / Risk behavior / Risk taking / Safe sexual practices / Sex crimes / Sexual arousal / Sexual Behavior / Sexual Behavior - drug effects / Sexual Behavior - psychology / Sexual desire / Sexual violence / Sexually transmitted diseases / Social Sciences / STD / Structural equation modeling / Unsafe Sex - psychology / Victimization / Victims / Women / Young Adult / Young women