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.