Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption Prior to Sex, Unprotected Sex and Prevalence of STI/HIV Among Socially Marginalized Men in Three Coastal Cities of Peru

• Published in: AIDS and behavior 2013-06, Vol.17 (5), p.1724-1733
• Main Authors: Maguiña, Jorge L., Konda, Kelika A., Leon, Segundo R., Lescano, Andrés G., Clark, Jesse L., Hall, Eric R., Klausner, Jeffrey D., Coates, Tom J., Caceres, Carlos F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adult; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol use; Alcohols; Cities; Condoms; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drinking Behavior; Epidemiology; Health Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - psychology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Male; Males; Marginality; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Multivariate Analysis; Original Paper; Peru; Peru - epidemiology; Prevalence; Prevention; Public Health; Risk taking; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - psychology; Social Marginalization - psychology; STD; Unsafe Sex - psychology; Unsafe Sex - statistics & numerical data; Venereal Diseases; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-012-0310-2

This article presents data about the relationship between alcohol consumption prior to sex and unprotected sex and the prevalence of at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI) including HIV among socially marginalized men in three coastal Peruvians cities. During an epidemiological survey with 2,146 men, we assessed their STI prevalence, frequency of alcohol consumption prior to sex, unprotected sex and other sexual risk behaviors. The overall prevalence of at least one STI/HIV was 8.5 % (95 % CI 7.3–9.7), the prevalence of unprotected sex was 79.1 % (95 % CI 77.8–80.3) and alcohol consumption prior to sex with any of the last five sex partners in the previous 6 months was 68.9 % (95 % CI 66.9–70.9). Bivariate and multivariate analysis showed that alcohol consumption of participants or their partners prior to sex were associated with the prevalence of at least one STI, adjusted Prevalence Ratio (aPR) = 1.3 (95 % CI 1.01–1.68). Unprotected sex was significantly associated with alcohol consumption prior to sex when both partners used alcohol, aPR = 1.15 (95 % CI 1.10–1.20) or when either one of them used alcohol aPR = 1.14 (95 % CI 1.09–1.18). These findings concur with previous literature suggesting a relationship between alcohol consumption prior to sex and STI and HIV. These data improve our understanding of this relationship in this context and could be used to enhance STI and HIV prevention strategies for socially marginalized men in Peru.