The relation of alcohol use to HIV-risk sexual behavior among adults with a severe and persistent mental illness

The authors examined the relationship between alcohol use and HIV-risk sexu al behavior and tested whether alcohol use immediately prior to sex is rela ted to decreased condom use. The participants were 159 adults living with a severe and persistent mental illness. Each participated in a structured in terview to assess all sexual and drug-use behavior over a 3-month period. A nalysis of 3,026 sexual behaviors reported by 123 sexually active participa nts indicated that at the global level, participants who drank more heavily were more likely to have engaged in sexual risk behavior. At the event lev el, however, alcohol use was not related to condom use during vaginal or an al intercourse; that is, participants who used condoms when sober tended to use them to the same extent when drinking.