YOUNG-ADULTS, ALCOHOL AND CONDOM USE - WHAT IS THE CONNECTION

Purpose: Concern about HIV in adolescents and young adults has led a number of investigators to examine the link between drinking and risky behavior, including failure to use condoms. Most of the studies that conclude that this link exists have used global measures of both variables and have not investigated drinking and use of condoms on the same occasion. If drinking leads to low condom use, both behaviors must occur together and the failure to find that they do weakens the hypothesis that they are causally related. Methods: Data from three separate studies on different adolescent and young adult populations are reported. In each study the relationship between drinking behavior and condom use at last intercourse was examined. Results: Drinking was not related to lower condom use in any of the populations studied. Conclusions: This negative result implies that the disinhibiting effect of alcohol is not a major factor in the failure of young adults to use condoms.