title: Lesbian alcohol and marijuana use: correlates of HIV risk behaviors and abusive relationships.
abstract: One hundred fifty-two self-identified lesbian and bisexual women participated in an exploratory study of lesbian health and high-risk sexual behaviors. These women were primarily White, middle class, and college educated. The relationship of alcohol and marijuana use to high-risk sexual behaviors and involvement in past or current abusive experiences was investigated. Having been involved in coercive sexual activities was related to some high-risk sexual activities and alcohol and marijuana use. The women in this sample were engaging in high-risk sexual activities, perhaps because of a lack of HIV-risk perception among lesbians in general, and in this sample in particular. These results demonstrate the need for HIV and safer-sex education even among highly educated women and awareness of the interrelationship between drug use and unsafe sexual activities.
authors.affiliation: Drug Abuse Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles 90024, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Perry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013781:Texas; D014754:Violence