Alcohol & Men's Sexual Risk Behaviors

Arizona State University (ASU)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Sexual Aggression; Sexual Behavior; Emotions; Alcohol Drinking

Treatments: Behavioral: Partner Positive Mood Manipulation; Behavioral: Non-alcoholic Beverage; Behavioral: Alcoholic Beverage; Behavioral: Partner Negative Mood Manipulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06158880

4R37AA025212 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

STUDY00018369

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project extends the investigators' previous research regarding the intersecting risks of alcohol, sexual risk behavior (SRB), and sexual aggression (SA) in male drinkers who have sex with women by examining the mediating and moderating roles of both intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional factors. While independent streams of research consistently document alcohol's role in SRB and SA, the investigators' work has demonstrated that these behaviors are related, and that alcohol exacerbates their likelihood both independently and synergistically. The researchers' investigations focus on a particular type of SRB: men's resistance to condom use with female partners who want to have protected sex. Condom use resistance (CUR) is common and normative among young male drinkers, with up to 80% of men reporting engaging in CUR. Of particular concern, research demonstrates that up to 42% of men report using coercive CUR tactics such as emotional manipulation, deception, condom sabotage, and force to obtain unprotected sex. Investigators will evaluate hypotheses that distal and proximal emotional and alcohol factors influence in-the-moment SRB/CUR intentions as well as daily alcohol use and SRB/CUR. The investigators will also examine whether the relationships among assessed variables are similar across experimental and naturalistic settings. That is, investigate the extent to which men's responses in the lab parallel their real-world drinking and SRB/CUR behaviors, particularly regarding self and partner emotions, empathy, and interpersonal stress.

Enrollment: 6 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 21 to 30 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Single
• Male
• Ages 21-30
• Engagement in unprotected intercourse with a woman at least once in the past year
• Consumed alcohol at least 2 times per week in the past 30 days
• Had sex with a woman at least 2 times in the past 30 days

Exclusion criteria

• A history of alcohol problems
• A medical condition and/or medications which contraindicate alcohol consumption
• In a relationship that is monogamous and has lasted longer than 6 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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6 participants in 4 patient groups

Alcoholic beverage

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive a dose of alcohol mixed in fruit juice designed to achieve a peak breath alcohol concentration of .08%.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Alcoholic Beverage

Non-alcoholic beverage

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will receive a beverage that does not contain alcohol (fruit juice only).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Non-alcoholic Beverage

Partner Negative Mood Manipulation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive an experimental manipulation describing negative emotions in a hypothetical sexual partner.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Partner Negative Mood Manipulation

Partner Positive Mood Manipulation

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants receive an experimental manipulation describing positive emotions in a hypothetical sexual partner.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Partner Positive Mood Manipulation