Citation

Hone LSE, Bartholow BD, Piasecki TM, Sher KJ. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2017; 41(9): 1630-1636.

Affiliation

Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/acer.13447

PMID

28797135

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Low sensitivity (LS) to alcohol's acute effects is a known risk factor for heavy drinking and its negative consequences. However, LS could be protective due to LS drinkers being less impaired at a given level of consumption. Here, we tested whether LS is associated with differences in men's and women's reports of alcohol-related regretted sex.

METHODS: Eight hundred and one young adults (393 women) aged 21 to 35 (M = 23.11 years) recruited for a study of alcohol's effects on cognition completed self-report measures of alcohol sensitivity, typical alcohol use, and alcohol consequences (including regretted sex).

RESULTS: Participants whose alcohol sensitivity scores classified them as LS were more likely to experience alcohol-related regretted sex than were high-sensitivity (HS) participants. However, when controlling for typical alcohol use and experience of alcohol consequences in general, alcohol sensitivity was negatively associated with risk of alcohol-related regretted sex, but only among women.

CONCLUSIONS: At a given level of consumption, and controlling for experience of alcohol consequences other than regretted sex, reduced sensitivity to certain effects of alcohol may be a protective factor for women against risk for alcohol-related regretted sexual situations. This study provides insight on the unique risks of drinking among LS and HS women.

Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol Consequences; Alcohol Sensitivity; Alcohol Use; Alcohol-Related Regretted Sex; Sex Differences