Alcohol & Men's Sexual Risk Behaviors

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This project extends our previous research regarding the intersecting risks of alcohol, sexual risk behavior (SRB), and sexual aggression (SA) in male drinkers who have sex with women by examining the mediating and moderating roles of both intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional factors. While independent streams of research consistently document alcohol's role in SRB and SA, our work has demonstrated that these behaviors are related, and that alcohol exacerbates their likelihood both independently and synergistically. Our investigations focus on a particular type of SRB: men's resistance to condom use with female partners who want to have protected sex. Condom use resistance (CUR) is common and normative among young male drinkers, with up to 80% of men reporting engaging in CUR. Of particular concern, our research demonstrates that up to 42% of men report using coercive CUR tactics such as emotional manipulation, deception, condom sabotage, and force to obtain unprotected sex. We will evaluate hypotheses that distal and proximal emotional and alcohol factors influence in-the-moment SRB/CUR intentions as well as daily alcohol use and SRB/CUR. We will also examine whether the relationships among assessed variables are similar across experimental and naturalistic settings. That is, investigate the extent to which men's responses in the lab parallel their real-world drinking and SRB/CUR behaviors, particularly regarding self and partner emotions, empathy, and interpersonal stress.

Official Title
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Men's Sexual Risk Behaviors: Alcohol, Sexual Aggression, and Emotional Factors (Extension)

Conditions
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Sexual Behavior, Alcohol Drinking, Sexual Aggression, Emotions

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Alcoholic Beverage
* Behavioral: Non-alcoholic Beverage
* Behavioral: Partner Negative Mood Manipulation
* Behavioral: Partner Positive Mood Manipulation


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Single; Male; Ages 21-30; Engagement in unprotected intercourse with a woman at least once in the past year; Consumed alcohol at least 2 times per week in the past 30 days; Had sex with a woman at least 2 times in the past 30 days Exclusion Criteria: A history of alcohol problems; A medical condition and/or medications which contraindicate alcohol consumption; In a relationship that is monogamous and has lasted longer than 6 months

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 21 Years
Maximum Age: 30 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Alcoholic beverage<br>Participants will receive a dose of alcohol mixed in fruit juice designed to achieve a peak breath alcohol concentration of .08%. | Behavioral: Alcoholic Beverage<br>* Participants will consume an alcoholic beverage (vodka mixed with fruit juice) that is the equivalent of 3-4 standard alcoholic drinks based on their body weight.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Non-alcoholic beverage<br>Participants will receive a beverage that does not contain alcohol (fruit juice only). | Behavioral: Non-alcoholic Beverage<br>* Participants will consume a nonalcoholic beverage (fruit juice) that is the isovolemic equivalent of 3-4 standard alcoholic drinks based on their body weight.<br>|
| Experimental: Partner Negative Mood Manipulation<br>Participants receive an experimental manipulation describing negative emotions in a hypothetical sexual partner. | Behavioral: Partner Negative Mood Manipulation<br>* Participants will engage in a laboratory task and will then report their own and their partner's emotions following the task.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Partner Positive Mood Manipulation<br>Participants receive an experimental manipulation describing positive emotions in a hypothetical sexual partner. | Behavioral: Partner Positive Mood Manipulation<br>* Participants will engage in a laboratory task and will then report their own and their partner's emotions following the task.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mean score of sexual risk intentions | Self-reported ratings of unprotected sex likelihood in a hypothetical scenario Scale range: 1 (not at all likely) to 7 (very likely). A higher value is a worse outcome. This is one total scale (no subscales). Items are averaged to compute a mean score. | within one hour of receiving the intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sexual risk behavior | Number of unprotected sexual intercourse events | 6 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Condom use resistance, Emotion dysregulation