%0 Journal Article %J Arch Sex Behav %D 2012 %T Risky sex: interactions among ethnicity, sexual sensation seeking, sexual inhibition, and sexual excitation. %A Nguyen, Hong V %A Koo, Kelly H %A Davis, Kelly Cue %A Otto, Jacqueline M %A Hendershot, Christian S %A Schacht, Rebecca L %A George, William H %A Heiman, Julia R %A Norris, Jeanette %K Adult %K African Americans %K Asian Americans %K Condoms %K Ethnic Groups %K European Continental Ancestry Group %K Female %K HIV Infections %K Humans %K Male %K Risk Factors %K Sexual Behavior %K Sexuality %K Sexually Transmitted Diseases %K United States %K Unsafe Sex %X

Rates of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, vary across ethnic minority groups, yet few studies have evaluated sexual risk behaviors and their psychological correlates to determine if risk and protective factors vary by ethnicity. The purpose of the current study was to assess sexual sensation seeking (SSS), sexual inhibition (SIS1 and SIS2), and sexual excitation (SES) as correlates of risky sexual behaviors in 106 (55 male and 51 female) Asian Americans, African Americans, and Caucasian Americans. Results revealed that higher SSS was associated with more vaginal and anal sex partners. Further, the association between SSS and the number of anal sex partners was positive among Asian Americans and Caucasians, but non-significant among African Americans. SIS1 was positively associated with unprotected sex on the first date among Asian Americans and African Americans. However, the association was not significant for Caucasians. SIS2 was negatively associated with general unprotected sex, and SES was positively associated with the number of vaginal sex partners. Findings suggest that ethnicity plays an important moderating role in the relationship between sexual traits and risky sexual behaviors.

%B Arch Sex Behav %V 41 %P 1231-9 %8 2012 Oct %G eng %N 5 %R 10.1007/s10508-012-9904-z %0 Journal Article %J Horm Behav %D 2011 %T Women's sexual arousal: effects of high alcohol dosages and self-control instructions. %A George, William H %A Davis, Kelly Cue %A Heiman, Julia R %A Norris, Jeanette %A Stoner, Susan A %A Schacht, Rebecca L %A Hendershot, Christian S %A Kajumulo, Kelly F %K Adult %K Alcohol Drinking %K Arousal %K Dose-Response Relationship, Drug %K Erotica %K Ethanol %K Female %K Humans %K Internal-External Control %K Libido %K Sexuality %K Vagina %K Young Adult %X

The basic relationship between alcohol and women's sexual arousal - especially genital arousal - received little research attention for nearly 30 years (e.g. Wilson and Lawson, 1978) until very recently (e.g. George et al., 2009). To investigate hypotheses based on earlier findings and Alcohol Myopia Theory (AMT), two experiments evaluated the effects of high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and arousal instructional demands on indices of vaginal responding and self-reported sexual arousal. In Experiment 1, self-control instructions to maximize (versus suppress) arousal increased peak and average Vaginal Pulse Amplitude (VPA) change. Self-control also interacted with a target BAC of .08% (versus .00%) to influence latency to peak arousal onset: Intoxicated women instructed to maximize showed a shorter latency to peak arousal than did intoxicated women instructed to suppress; however, sober women showed an undifferentiated pattern. Also, in Experiment 1, the target BAC of .08% had no effect on VPA or subjective arousal measures. In Experiment 2, a target BAC of .10% (versus .00%) attenuated peak change and average change in VPA, but this dosage had no effects on latency to peak achieved arousal, or on subjective arousal. Instructions to maximize arousal (versus no instruction) had no effect on any arousal measures. Overall, among young moderate drinking women, alcohol had attenuating effects but only at the higher dosage. Maximize versus suppress instructions about arousal had predicted effects on arousal and interactive effects on latency, but only at the lower dosage. The findings highlight the importance of dosage and contextual factors in alcohol's impact on the variability of women's sexual responding.

%B Horm Behav %V 59 %P 730-8 %8 2011 May %G eng %N 5 %R 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.03.006 %0 Journal Article %J J Sex Med %D 2010 %T Assessing women's sexual arousal in the context of sexual assault history and acute alcohol intoxication. %A Gilmore, Amanda K %A Schacht, Rebecca L %A George, William H %A Otto, Jacqueline M %A Davis, Kelly Cue %A Heiman, Julia R %A Norris, Jeanette %A Kajumulo, Kelly F %K Alcoholic Intoxication %K Arousal %K Child %K Child Abuse, Sexual %K Erotica %K Ethanol %K Female %K Humans %K Libido %K Photoplethysmography %K Rape %K Reference Values %K Regional Blood Flow %K Vagina %X

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined differences in women's sexual arousal based on sexual assault history (SAH) or in-the-moment alcohol intoxication. Only one has examined combined effects. Findings regarding the relationship between SAH and arousal are contradictory.

AIM: We aimed to determine the relationship between SAH, alcohol intoxication, and sexual arousal.

METHODS: Women were randomly assigned to an alcohol (target blood alcohol level = 0.10%) or control condition and categorized as having an SAH or not. After beverage administration, all women watched erotic films while genital arousal (vaginal pulse amplitude; VPA) was measured. Afterward, self-reported sexual arousal was measured.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Genital response was measured by VPA using vaginal photoplethysmography while watching erotic films. Self-reported sexual arousal was assessed after watching erotic films.

RESULTS: Women with an SAH had smaller increases in genital arousal in response to the films than women without an SAH. Intoxicated women had smaller increases in genital arousal than sober women. However, no differences for SAH or intoxication were found in self-reported arousal.

CONCLUSION: SAH and alcohol intoxication are associated with smaller increases in genital arousal compared to women without an SAH and sober women, suggesting that these co-occurring factors impact sexual arousal.

%B J Sex Med %V 7 %P 2112-9 %8 2010 Jun %G eng %N 6 %R 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01786.x %0 Journal Article %J Arch Sex Behav %D 2010 %T Sexual abuse history, alcohol intoxication, and women's sexual risk behavior. %A Schacht, Rebecca L %A George, William H %A Davis, Kelly Cue %A Heiman, Julia R %A Norris, Jeanette %A Stoner, Susan A %A Kajumulo, Kelly F %K Adult %K Affect %K Alcoholic Intoxication %K Child %K Child Abuse, Sexual %K Condoms %K Female %K Humans %K Photoplethysmography %K Risk-Taking %K Safe Sex %K Sex Offenses %K Sexual Behavior %K Vagina %X

We examined potential differences in women's likelihood of sexual risk taking in a laboratory setting based on alcohol intoxication and sexual abuse history. Participants (n = 64) were classified as non-sexually abused (NSA) or as having experienced sexual abuse in childhood only (CSA) or adulthood only (ASA) and randomly assigned to consume alcoholic (.06, .08, or .10% target blood alcohol content) or non-alcoholic drinks, after which participants read and responded to a risky sex vignette. Dependent measures included vaginal pulse amplitude, self-reported sexual arousal, likelihood of engaging in condom use and risky sexual behaviors described in the vignette, and mood. NSA and ASA women did not differ significantly on any dependent measures. CSA women reported significantly lower likelihood of condom use and unprotected intercourse relative to NSA and ASA women. Intoxicated women reported significantly greater sexual arousal, positive mood, and likelihood of risky sex relative to sober women. Intoxicated CSA women reported significantly more likelihood of unprotected oral sex and less likelihood of condom use relative to intoxicated NSA and ASA and sober CSA women. CSA women's increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be driven by non-condom use and behavioral changes while intoxicated. These findings provide preliminary insight into situational influences affecting CSA women's increased STI risk.

%B Arch Sex Behav %V 39 %P 898-906 %8 2010 Aug %G eng %N 4 %R 10.1007/s10508-009-9544-0