Establishing a New Measure of Alcohol-Related Sexual Consequences and Examining Its Association to Alcohol Consequences Among At-Risk Young Adults

Objective: Alcohol-related sexual consequences are common among young adults, yet there is no standard measure to comprehensively assess this construct. To fill this gap, the current study evaluated a 41-item measure of alcohol-related sexual consequences in a sample of at-risk young adults. Method: A subsample (n = 318; 54% female; 71% White; mean age = 22.52 years) of young adults from a larger intervention study was identified for analyses based on recent drinking and sexual behavior. Participants were asked whether each of 41 sexual consequences occurred in the past month as a result of drinking alcohol. More than half of the sample reported vaginal sex without a condom, oral sex without a condom, and having sex without discussing condom use. Results: Only 1 of 41 items evidenced sex differences: men were more likely than women to report oral sex with someone they just met. Count regression models were conducted to determine unique associations among alcohol-related (e.g., alcohol use, expectancies) and sex-related variables (e.g., sexual behavior, expectancies) and alcohol-related sexual consequences and general alcohol consequences. Findings supported the alcohol-related sexual consequences measure as related to, but distinct from, general alcohol consequences, as it was more strongly related to sex-specific constructs. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for the Alcohol-Related Sexual Consequences Scale, a novel measure of alcohol-related sexual consequences, which may be useful for generating personalized feedback and assessing the efficacy of interventions targeting risky sexual behavior and drinking.