The Relationship of Alcohol and STDs and AIDS
NY City Study Shows Connection Between Drinking and Sexual Diseases
Feb 7, 2009
The study reveals that New Yorkers who binge drink on alcohol have a tendency to have many more sex partners compared with those who either drink less or don't drink at all. This places them at an increased risk for all sexually transmitted diseases.
According to the Health Department report “Alcohol Use and Risky Sex in New York City”, teenagers who drink alcohol also more probably engage in risky sexual behaviors, including having multiple sex partners. It also suggested that drinking may be related to more sexual transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) than drug use, because it is much more common particularly among high-risk men who have sex with other men.
Binge Drinking
The study reported that about 15% of adults - some 883,000 - report binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined, generally, as five or more drinks on one occasion. The study found that “binge drinkers are both 50% more likely than non-binge drinkers and three times more likely than non-drinkers, to self-report having two-to-four sexual partners in the past year.” In addition, both drinkers and non-drinkers self-reported high rates of having sex without a condom.
Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City Health Commissioner said that "Heavy drinkers are more likely to have multiple partners - increasing their risk of HIV, other STDs, and unplanned pregnancy." He stated that New Yorkers may not recognize these risks, and that reducing the amount that people drink can help prevent HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Alcohol and Men Who Have Sex With Men
The study also showed that men who have sex with men (MSM) are at particularly high risk of binge drinking with subsequent negative consequences. One in four (24%) MSM in New York City said they binge drink, and they were twice as likely as the non-drinking MSM to report having five or more sexual partners in the just the past year.
This article supports other similar articles such as “HIV/AIDS Among Men Who Have Sex with Men” (Centers for Disease Control, Revised June 2007). The CDC reported that the use of alcohol and drugs continues to be prevalent among some MSMs, and is linked to HIV and STDs and can increase the risk for HIV through risky sexual behaviors while under the influence.
Drinking and Sex Among Teens
The New York City study found that most teens (65%) did not drink, but 14% did binge drink in the past month. Furthermore, teens who reported drinking any alcohol were more than twice as likely as non-drinkers to have had multiple sex partners. Condom use, again, was less common among teens who drank or used drugs before sex. Finally, the teens who did drink were nearly twice as likely to report causing a pregnancy, and the boys who had sex after drinking were three times as likely to self-report getting a girl pregnant.
Cause For Concern
In March 2008, the Centers for Disease Control released a study showing that at least 1-in-4 teenage American girls has a sexually transmitted disease. The study tested girls ages 14 to 19 for four infections: human papillomavirus, or HPV, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes. Given the results of this study and others, the incidence of STDs, HIV and AIDS remains at a critical level.
In this regard, prevention experts would do well to continue to strongly focus efforts on the prevention of drinking and substance use, especially as it relates to unhealthy sexual behavior among teens and other populations. Tens of thousands of lives depend upon it.
References
Alcohol Use and Risky Sex in New York City
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