title: Alcohol as a correlate of unprotected sexual behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS: review and meta-analysis.
abstract: The present investigation attempted to quantify the relationship between alcohol consumption and unprotected sexual behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). A comprehensive search of the literature was performed to identify key studies on alcohol and sexual risk behavior among PLWHA, and three separate meta-analyses were conducted to examine associations between unprotected sex and (1) any alcohol consumption, (2) problematic drinking, and (3) alcohol use in sexual contexts. Based on 27 relevant studies, meta-analyses demonstrated that any alcohol consumption (OR = 1.63, CI = 1.39-1.91), problematic drinking (OR = 1.69, CI = 1.45-1.97), and alcohol use in sexual contexts (OR = 1.98, CI = 1.63-2.39) were all found to be significantly associated with unprotected sex among PLWHA. Taken together, these results suggest that there is a significant link between PLWHA's use of alcohol and their engagement in high-risk sexual behavior. These findings have implications for the development of interventions to reduce HIV transmission risk behavior in this population.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada. paul.shuper@uconn.edu
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Shuper
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Joharchi
authors.forename: Hyacinth
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Irving
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rehm
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D047568:Unsafe Sex