USING DRUGS TO FACILITATE SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR IS ASSOCIATED WITH SEXUAL VARIETY AMONG INJECTION-DRUG USERS

Little normative data exist about the frequency and variety of sexual behavior of injection drug users. Sexual behaviors of a group of 313 i njection drug users (225 men and 88 women) were assessed by a structur ed interview at the start of an acquired immune deficiency syndrome pr evention project. Celibacy was reported by 12.3% of men and 26.9% of w omen in the year before the initial interview. Male injection drug use rs who had been sexually active reported a mean number of 4.61 (median , 2.0) female sexual partners in the previous year, sexually active wo men reported a mean number of 5.28 (median, 1.0) male sexual partners. Sexually active men and women reported median condom use frequency at 0% of vaginal intercourse events (mean for men, 10.31%; mean for wome n, 14.48%). Male injection drug users who reported using drugs to help them relax for sex, to enhance sexual performance, or to meet sexual partners reported greater frequency of anal intercourse, fellatio, and cunnilingus, less relative frequency of vaginal intercourse, more sex ual partners, and greater involvement in being paid for sex and paying for sex than did men who did not report using drugs to enhance sex. M en who used drugs to enhance sex also reported higher frequency of use of a number of different drug classes than men who did not use drugs to enhance sex. For women, using drugs to enhance sex was related to g reater frequency of anal intercourse and having more sexual partners. Implications for treatment of drug abusers and future research are dis cussed.