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A Qualitative Investigation Comparing Psychosocial and Physical Sexual Experiences Related to Alcohol and Marijuana Use among Adults

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Abstract

Alcohol and marijuana are two of the most prevalent psychoactive substances and each may result in distinct psychosocial and physical sexual experiences and different sexual risk behaviors. With marijuana becoming more accepted in the US along with more liberal state-level policies, it is important to examine and compare users’ psychosocial and physical sexual experiences and sexual risk behavior associated with these drugs. In this study, we interviewed 24 adults who recently used marijuana before sex. Participants were 50 % female and all self-identified as heterosexual and HIV-negative. Using thematic analysis, we compared self-reported psychosocial and physical sexual experiences of alcohol and marijuana. Participants described differences between drugs with regard to psychosocial (e.g., partner interactions and contexts before sex, partner choice, perceived attractiveness of self and others, disinhibition, and feelings of regret after sex) and physical sexual experiences (e.g., sexual dysfunction, dose effects, sensations of body/sex organs, length and intensity of sex, and orgasm). Alcohol use was commonly associated with social outgoingness and use facilitated connections with potential sexual partners; however, alcohol was more likely than marijuana to lead to atypical partner choice or post-sex regret. Both alcohol and marijuana had a variety of negative sexual effects, and the illegality of marijuana reportedly facilitated intimate encounters. While sexual experiences tended to be similar across males and females, we did find some variation by gender. Results can inform prevention and harm reduction programming that will allow us to design more realistic programs and to craft interventions, which guide potential users to make safer choices.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) via the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (P30DA011041). The first author was also supported by NIDA (K01 DA038800).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Medical Center, 227 East 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Joseph J. Palamar & Patricia Acosta

  2. Center for Drug Use and HIV Research, New York University College of Nursing, New York, NY, USA

    Joseph J. Palamar, Danielle C. Ompad & Samuel R. Friedman

  3. Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, New York, NY, USA

    Joseph J. Palamar & Danielle C. Ompad

  4. College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Danielle C. Ompad

  5. National Development and Research Institutes, New York, NY, USA

    Samuel R. Friedman

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  1. Joseph J. Palamar
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  2. Patricia Acosta
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  3. Danielle C. Ompad
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  4. Samuel R. Friedman
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Correspondence to Joseph J. Palamar.

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Palamar, J.J., Acosta, P., Ompad, D.C. et al. A Qualitative Investigation Comparing Psychosocial and Physical Sexual Experiences Related to Alcohol and Marijuana Use among Adults. Arch Sex Behav 47, 757–770 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0782-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0782-7

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