Expectancies of sexual "escape" and sexual risk among drug and alcohol-involved gay and bisexual men

David J. McKirnan; Peter A. Vanable; David G. Ostrow; Brent Hope

doi:10.1016/S0899-3289(01)00063-3

Expectancies of sexual "escape" and sexual risk among drug and alcohol-involved gay and bisexual men

David J. McKirnan, Peter A. Vanable, David G. Ostrow, Brent Hope

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

160 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: We tested the hypotheses that sexual risk would relate to gay/bisexual men's patterns of combining alcohol or drugs with sex, their motivation to use drugs to cognitively "escape" awareness of HIV risk, and their use of bars as social and sexual settings. Methods: We conducted extensive interviews among African-American (n=139) and White (n=112) gay and bisexual men who were attending a behavioral intervention for safer sex results. Those who frequently combined drugs with sex reported higher rates of sexual risk and Hepatitis B infection than did men who infrequently combined substances with sex, or who combined only alcohol with sex. Sexual risk was pronounced among more frequent drug users who also reported strong expectancies that alcohol or drugs facilitate sex and cognitively escape from awareness of HIV risk. Frequenting bars per se was not an important factor in sexual risk. Implications: Men who use alcohol or drugs to enhance sexuality and escape self-awareness of HIV risk have a significantly diminished capacity to avoid sexual risk.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	137-154
Number of pages	18
Journal	Journal of Substance Abuse
Volume	13
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-3289(01)00063-3
State	Published - 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Psychiatry and Mental health

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abstract = "Purpose: We tested the hypotheses that sexual risk would relate to gay/bisexual men's patterns of combining alcohol or drugs with sex, their motivation to use drugs to cognitively {"}escape{"} awareness of HIV risk, and their use of bars as social and sexual settings. Methods: We conducted extensive interviews among African-American (n=139) and White (n=112) gay and bisexual men who were attending a behavioral intervention for safer sex results. Those who frequently combined drugs with sex reported higher rates of sexual risk and Hepatitis B infection than did men who infrequently combined substances with sex, or who combined only alcohol with sex. Sexual risk was pronounced among more frequent drug users who also reported strong expectancies that alcohol or drugs facilitate sex and cognitively escape from awareness of HIV risk. Frequenting bars per se was not an important factor in sexual risk. Implications: Men who use alcohol or drugs to enhance sexuality and escape self-awareness of HIV risk have a significantly diminished capacity to avoid sexual risk.",

author = "McKirnan, {David J.} and Vanable, {Peter A.} and Ostrow, {David G.} and Brent Hope",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by a grant from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to Howard Brown Health Center. The authors thank the participants of this research project, and the AIM staff: Jeff Arner, Douglas Bell, Lori Blackwell, Lauren Brown, Tom Buckingham, Will Damon, Kellie Dyslin, Moctezuma Garcia, Marcus Moody, Borris Powell, and Jod Taywaditep. ",

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AU - Vanable, Peter A.

AU - Ostrow, David G.

AU - Hope, Brent

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by a grant from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to Howard Brown Health Center. The authors thank the participants of this research project, and the AIM staff: Jeff Arner, Douglas Bell, Lori Blackwell, Lauren Brown, Tom Buckingham, Will Damon, Kellie Dyslin, Moctezuma Garcia, Marcus Moody, Borris Powell, and Jod Taywaditep.

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N2 - Purpose: We tested the hypotheses that sexual risk would relate to gay/bisexual men's patterns of combining alcohol or drugs with sex, their motivation to use drugs to cognitively "escape" awareness of HIV risk, and their use of bars as social and sexual settings. Methods: We conducted extensive interviews among African-American (n=139) and White (n=112) gay and bisexual men who were attending a behavioral intervention for safer sex results. Those who frequently combined drugs with sex reported higher rates of sexual risk and Hepatitis B infection than did men who infrequently combined substances with sex, or who combined only alcohol with sex. Sexual risk was pronounced among more frequent drug users who also reported strong expectancies that alcohol or drugs facilitate sex and cognitively escape from awareness of HIV risk. Frequenting bars per se was not an important factor in sexual risk. Implications: Men who use alcohol or drugs to enhance sexuality and escape self-awareness of HIV risk have a significantly diminished capacity to avoid sexual risk.

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Expectancies of sexual "escape" and sexual risk among drug and alcohol-involved gay and bisexual men

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