title: A behavioral decision model testing the association of marijuana use and sexual risk in young adult women.
abstract: We created a model conceptualizing sexual risk as a series of discrete event-specific behavioral decisions and tested the hypothesis that marijuana use was associated with increased sexual risk-taking. Three hundred eight marijuana-using women aged 18-24 completed a 90-day time-line-follow-back to assess sexual behaviors and marijuana use. A sequential logit model estimated the effect of marijuana use on the likelihood of being sexually active, partner type when sexually active, and condom nonuse conditional on partner type. Participants had a mean age of 20.4 years, with 67% Caucasian. Marijuana use was associated with an increased likelihood of being sexually active (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.33, 1.93) and with condom nonuse when sexually active with casual partners (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.1, 6.09). This behavioral decision model identified where marijuana use affected sexual risk, and suggests where interventions designed to reduce risk may have an impact.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult