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Sexual Abuse History, Alcohol Intoxication, and Women’s Sexual Risk Behavior

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Abstract

We examined potential differences in women’s likelihood of sexual risk taking in a laboratory setting based on alcohol intoxication and sexual abuse history. Participants (n = 64) were classified as non-sexually abused (NSA) or as having experienced sexual abuse in childhood only (CSA) or adulthood only (ASA) and randomly assigned to consume alcoholic (.06, .08, or .10% target blood alcohol content) or non-alcoholic drinks, after which participants read and responded to a risky sex vignette. Dependent measures included vaginal pulse amplitude, self-reported sexual arousal, likelihood of engaging in condom use and risky sexual behaviors described in the vignette, and mood. NSA and ASA women did not differ significantly on any dependent measures. CSA women reported significantly lower likelihood of condom use and unprotected intercourse relative to NSA and ASA women. Intoxicated women reported significantly greater sexual arousal, positive mood, and likelihood of risky sex relative to sober women. Intoxicated CSA women reported significantly more likelihood of unprotected oral sex and less likelihood of condom use relative to intoxicated NSA and ASA and sober CSA women. CSA women’s increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be driven by non-condom use and behavioral changes while intoxicated. These findings provide preliminary insight into situational influences affecting CSA women’s increased STI risk.

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Notes

  1. The story may be obtained from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

This article was completed by the first author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology under supervision of the second author. This research was funded through a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA13565) to William H. George. Portions of this manuscript were presented in June 2004 at the annual meeting of the International Academy of Sex Research, Helsinki, Finland, and the Research Society on Alcoholism, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Rebecca L. Schacht, William H. George & Kelly F. Kajumulo

  2. School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Kelly Cue Davis

  3. The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Julia R. Heiman

  4. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Jeanette Norris

  5. Talaria, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA

    Susan A. Stoner

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  1. Rebecca L. Schacht
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  6. Susan A. Stoner
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  7. Kelly F. Kajumulo
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Correspondence to Rebecca L. Schacht.

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Schacht, R.L., George, W.H., Davis, K.C. et al. Sexual Abuse History, Alcohol Intoxication, and Women’s Sexual Risk Behavior. Arch Sex Behav 39, 898–906 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-009-9544-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-009-9544-0

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