title: Greater sexual risk-taking in female and male recreational MDMA/ecstasy users compared with alcohol drinkers: a questionnaire study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have shown increased sexual risk-taking in experienced MDMA/ecstasy users. The main objectives of this study were to compare levels of sexual risk-taking between a young student sample of predominantly heterosexual MDMA users and alcohol-drinker controls and investigate potential gender differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recreational drug use and sexual risk questionnaires were completed by 20 MDMA users (10 females, 10 males) and 20 non-user controls (10 females, 10 males). They were predominantly university students, aged between 20-22 years, mainly heterosexual (n = 37), with three bisexual participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MDMA users displayed significantly greater levels of sexual risk-taking than the alcohol-drinker controls. It involved significantly higher rates of casual sex, non-condom use during sex, and penetrative sexual risks. This increase in sexual riskiness occurred to a similar extent in males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that both female and male ecstasy/MDMA users reported more risky sexual behaviours, than the non-user controls. Further research into the sexual behaviour and sexual risk-taking of heterosexual MDMA users should be conducted because much of the past literature has focused on homosexual participants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Aimee L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Parrott
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
keywords: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA; alcohol; ecstasy; risk; sexual