Challenges of Alcohol Use for HIV Prevention Seth Kalichman, University of Connecticut, Presented at CROI, oral abstract number 118.

11:07 13.04.2010

 Alcohol use is associated with risks for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.  Among people who drink, greater quantities of alcohol consumption, as opposed to frequency of drinking, predicts greater sexual risks including more sex partners, and less condom us.  In addition, there are gender differences in alcohol use and sexual risks: men are more  likely to drink and engage in higher risk behavior, whereas women's risks are often associated with their male sex partners' drinking.  Factors that are most closely related to alcohol and sexual risks include drinking venues, and alcohol-serving establishments, sexual coercion, and poverty.  Alcohol use also poses significant challenges to medication adherence and will therefore significantly influence pre-exposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral treatment for prevention through both increased sexual risk and diminished protection offered by antiretroviral therapy.
    This University of  Connecticut  study concludes that alcohol use is a critical target for HIV prevention interventions, as well as common behavioral correlatives of drinking, including depression, social isolation, and internalized stigma. Multifaceted and multilevel interventions are needed to reduce the HIV transmission risk associated with alcohol use.