Booze and Sex: A
Real Downer
OutInMilwaukee.com
by Paul Galatowitsch, Ph.D.; Brad Thomason,
Ph.D.
OCTOBER 31, 2002
(EXCERPTED)
"I don’t have a drinking problem. I just hit the
bars a couple of times a week for some drinks. What’s wrong with that?" Nothing,
unless those two or three drinks facilitate or lead to unsafe sex.
You don’t have to have a drinking problem to have a
problem with drinking and unsafe sex.
Drinking helps some people relax and can make socializing easier -- but it can
also lead us to do things we might not ordinarily do when we are sober. And
unsafe sex is a dangerous endeavor, putting you at risk for several sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV.
In addition to numerous studies about the connection between alcohol and sex in
the general population, there has been gay-specific research on this topic. A
report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, from a
Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in
May of 1999 in Washington, DC,
found a
link between risky sex practices, alcohol use and STDs.
According to Leigh & Stall from an IC4M grant about HIV-risk and alcohol use,
1993, "One identified subgroup that appears at especially high-risk are MSM with
alcohol use disorders. Many studies have demonstrated that
heavy drinking MSM (men who have sex with men) tend
to have more sexual partners and to engage in less consistent condom use,
although the mechanisms linking drinking and unsafe sex behaviors are unclear."
More studies are needed to determine exactly what the level of risk is. However,
Stall et al. (1994) estimated that gay
men who sought treatment for a chemical dependency problem were five times more
likely than other gay men to engage in unsafe sex.
Unsafe sex is not the only consequence of drinking
alcohol. For men who have serious problems with drinking, especially around the
holidays, drinking can contribute to depression and other negative health
effects, especially for those who are HIV-positive.
Depression has also been linked to unsafe sex among
men who have sex with men (MSM). According to a recent study presented in
October, gay men with dysthymia, a long-term, low-grade depression, are almost
twice as likely to have unsafe, casual sex than gay men without this condition.
Drinking even small amounts of alcohol affects our
thinking and emotions. Sexual behaviors, in turn, are usually influenced by
these alcohol-induced changes in our brain. First, alcohol lowers our
inhibitions and clouds our judgments. Alcohol is also a mood enhancer. The buzz
we get from a few drinks tends to exaggerate emotions we are already feeling. If
we are sad, it makes us sadder. If we are happy it can put us in a state of
bliss. When a person experiences an enhanced negative mood state, sexual
opportunity may be viewed as a remedy. Depressed individuals are especially
vulnerable to making risky sexual decisions because sex is sometimes used to
elevate self-esteem. As inhibitions are lowered, we may engage in behaviors we
otherwise would not if we were sober, such as thinking we really don’t need to
use a condom with the man we just met because he is attractive and looks like
he’s probably HIV-negative. For many, this combination of lowered inhibitions
and poor judgment too often results in unsafe sexual practices.
In fact, alcohol intoxication is considered one of
the biggest factors in the transmission of STDs, including HIV.
There are about 15 STDs that you can get
from oral sex alone. The common ones are
chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes and genital
warts. If you are drinking and think
you're being safe just by getting or giving head, think again. Look carefully at
what your going down on if you want to reduce your risk.
If you see a sore or discharge don’t assume its
precum, take precautions -- use a condom. Remember, it’s easier to catch HIV if
you have an STD.