Facts Linking Substance Abuse with Risky Sexual Behavior in Adolescents

Studies on attitudes and practices among teenagers and young adults have been able to link alcohol and drug use with risky sexual behavior and most of these studies reveal that the two often occur at the same time.  What can't be determined, however, is which activity tends to happen first.  Does substance abuse increase the probability that a young person will engage in risky sexual behavior or are sexually active young adults more likely to engage in substance abuse? 

The Kaiser Family Foundation's Youth Knowledge and Attitudes on Sexual Behavior: A National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults interviewed 998 teens and young adults aged 15 through 24 to determine their attitudes towards substance abuse and sexual activity.  According to the survey, approximately 29% of teens and 37% of young adults who are sexually active claimed that alcohol or drugs had influenced their decision to engage in sexual behavior.  In addition, approximately 24% of teens aged 15 to 17 and 31% of young adults aged 18 to 24 claimed that they had "done more" sexually than they had planned because they had been drinking or using drugs. 

The Kaiser Family Foundation also found that a vast majority of young people claim that substance abuse and risky sexual behavior go "hand-in-hand" with almost nine out of ten 15-to-24-year-olds claiming that their peers drink or use drugs before having sex at least "sometimes" and that 50 percent of the time it happens "a lot." Not only that, but seven out of ten young people agree that condoms often do not get used when alcohol or drug use is involved.  One of out five young adults say it's "not a big deal" if their peers engage in risky sexual behavior while drinking or using drugs nor if they make decisions about sex while under the influence. 

Based on the National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults, girls and young women are more likely than boys and young men to report that their peers were having unprotected sex under the influence.  When it comes to their own decision-making, however, almost half of teens and approximately 40% of young adults are personally concerned that they might "do more" sexually than they had planned as a consequence of using drugs or drinking alcohol.

More than one out of four teens and young adults admit that they have worried about sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy because of something that happened sexually while they were under the influence and about 15% have used alcohol or drugs to help them feel more comfortable in situations involving a sexual partner. 

A recent study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse also found that at least half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among people under the age of 25 and that injection drug abuse has accounted for 36% of AIDS cases in the U.S. since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began.

Despite these percentages on substance abuse and risky sexual behavior, it is believed that almost four out of every ten young people want more information about the effects alcohol and drug use has on their risk taking and sexual decision-making.