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Examination of Sex-Related Distress and Self-Medication Drinking Model in U.S. College Women.
Examination of Sex-Related Distress and Self-Medication Drinking Model in U.S. College Women. Journal of sex research Bird, E. R., Stappenbeck, C. A., Blayney, J., Kaysen, D., George, W. H. 2022: 1-9Abstract
Adult sexual assault (ASA) in college remains a concern. Consequently, many college-aged women experience negative emotions surrounding sexual activity (sex-related distress). Consistent with self-medication theory, some drink to cope with sex-related distress, which may reduce distress, but lead to greater drinking quantity before sex and negative sexual consequences. How women with ASA histories navigate sexual situations and cope with sex-related distress is under researched. We examined ASA, sex-related distress, and drinking to cope motives to understand correlates of drinking before sex. First and second year college women (n=300) reported on a recent sexual experience in the past six weeks. In the full sample, ASA severity was associated with a greater likelihood of drinking before sex, while general sex-related distress was associated with a lower likelihood. General sex-related distress was associated with event-specific sex-related distress and sexual consequences. There were no differences in number of pre-sex drinks or subjective intoxication during sexual activity based on ASA. In a subsample of women who drank before sexual activity (n=179), drinking to cope with sex-related distress motives mediated the association between sex-related distress and sexual consequences. Interventions can draw on these findings to target self-medication drinking in consensual sexual situations.
View details for DOI 10.1080/00224499.2022.2044444
View details for PubMedID 35275036