ETHNIC-DIFFERENCES IN THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND RISKY SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR WITH A NEW PARTNER - AN EVENT-BASED ANALYSIS

The relationship of alcohol consumption to risky sexual behavior at th e most recent encounter with a new sexual partner in representative sa mples of white, Hispanic, and black adults was examined. Drinking at t he new partner event was more prevalent among whites than either black s or Hispanics. Multivariate analyses indicated that drinking in the e vent was an important predictor of having a casual partner and using c ondoms with a casual partner for men but not for women. For women, dri nking during the event predicted failure to use a condom. Some of thes e associations were dependent on ethnicity. Hispanics who consumed alc ohol at the encounter were more likely to engage in protected sex than whites or blacks. These findings suggest that alcohol is but one of m any influences regulating the riskiness of a particular encounter with a new partner and that the interplay of personal, situational, and be havioral factors with risky sex are culturally dependent.