Alcohol and Drug Use

Many studies have been conducted on the relationship between alcohol and drug use and adolescent sexual behavior. This section includes information on the percentage of teens that use alcohol and drugs during intercourse, the relationship between alcohol and drug use and condom use, and the relationship between drug use and high-risk sexual behavior.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey

Description: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regularly publishes the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) that measures sexual behaviors, alcohol and other drug use, tobacco use, unhealthy dietary behaviors, physical inactivity, and behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence. The YRBS is conducted every two years with students in grades nine through 12 at high schools across the country. It provides the most current information about adolescent sexual behavior, including history of sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, and contraceptive use. The YRBS also asks sexually active high school students if they had used alcohol and drugs at last intercourse.

Key Statistics:

  • In 2005, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active (defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey), 23% (19% of females and 28% of males) reported having used alcohol or drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse.
  • In 2005, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active (defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey), 26% of 9th graders, 21% of 10th grade students, 23 % if eleventh grade students, and 23% of twelfth grade students reported having used drugs or alcohol the last time they had sexual intercourse.
  • In 2005, among those high school students who reported being currently sexually active (defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months prior to the survey), 14% of Black students, 26% of Hispanic students, and 25% of White students reported having used drugs or alcohol the last time they had sexual intercourse.

To View this Resource: See Healthy Youth online which allows visitors to view data from 1991?2005 by topic, to compare data across years, and to see data specific to states and communities at:

apps.nccd.cdc.gov/yrbss/CategoryQuestions.asp?cat=4&desc=Sexual%20Behaviors

or see the relevant tables directly from the YRBS at:

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5505a1.htm#tab48

Sexual Intentions of Black Preadolescents: Associations with Risk and Adaptive Behaviors

Source: Rex Forehand, et al, ?Sexual Intentions of Black Preadolescents: Associations with Risk and Adaptive Behaviors,? Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37.1 (March 2005).

Description:This report contains the findings of a study to determine what risk factors impact adolescent sexual behavior and sexual intentions.

Key Statistics:

  • In a survey of 751 black youths, adolescent perceptions of maternal disapproval of premarital sex and satisfaction with the mother-child relationship were significantly related to abstinence from adolescent sexual activity as well as to less-frequent sexual intercourse and more consistent use of contraceptives among sexually active youths.
  • Discussions about birth control were associated with an increased likelihood that adolescents were sexually active. Such discussions were not significantly related to consistent contraceptive use for female adolescents, but were associated with increased contraceptive use for male teenagers.

To View this Resource:www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2815996.html

Adolescent Drinking and Sex: Findings from a Daily Diary Study

Source: Diane Morrison, et al, “Adolescent Drinking and Sex: Findings from a Daily Diary Study,” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 35.4 (July/August 2003)

Description: This report contains the findings of a study to determine the relationship between condom use and alcohol use during intercourse.

Key Statistics:

  • Rates of condom use did not differ significantly between sexual events preceded by drinking and those not preceded by drinking.
  • In the multivariate analyses, the odds of condom use were not associated either with whether a teenager had been drinking before sex or with the quantity of alcohol consumed.

To View this Resource:www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3516203.html

Among Sexually Experienced Male Adolescents, Those with Partners of Both Sexes Exhibit Riskiest Behavior

Source: T. Lane, “Among Sexually Experienced Male Adolescents, Those with Partners of Both Sexes Exhibit Riskiest Behavior,” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 34.3 (May/June 2002).

Description: This article reports the findings of a study to determine whether sexual orientation affects adolescent sexual behavior and the related risk factors. The study compared sexual behavior of adolescent males with only heterosexual sexual contact to adolescent males with partners of both sexes.

Key Statistics:

  • Compared with young men who have only heterosexual contact, those who engage in bisexual behavior have three times the odds of having injected drugs.
  • Bisexually active young men deserve specific attention in prevention programs.

To View this Resource:www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3416602.html

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