NCJ Number
201317
Journal
Sex Offender Law Report Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: June/July 2003 Pages: 49,50,59,62
Date Published
June 2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This document explains the interaction between alcohol and risky behaviors, and details the unmatched-count technique (UCT) to establish rates for such risk behaviors.
Abstract
Determining the nature of the relationship between alcohol and risky sex has been difficult. Studies have yielded mixed results. Most studies of sexual behaviors rely on self-reports, which raise questions of validity. In the UCT method, participants receive a series or set of five or six statements and respond by indicating the number of statements that are true for them. The key element of the UCT is that participants do not respond directly to the sensitive items. Instead, they report the number of true items in a set that may include the sensitive item of interest. It is hypothesized that the UCT technique would yield significantly higher percentages of persons that endorse sensitive items over an anonymous self-report questionnaire. Participants in the study included 346 college students. After being randomly divided, one group received a true/false conventional self-report survey. Group 2 and 3 were UCT protocol groups, with Group 2 receiving Form A and Group 3 receiving Form B. Results show significant differences between the two groups on the measures concerning having had sex, having had sex with a condom, and having sex without a condom after drinking. No differences were found on the items “drank to intoxication” and “had sex after drinking.” The UCT protocol revealed almost twice the percentage of persons engaging in risky sexual behavior after drinking, as did the conventional self-report survey. 1 table, 18 references, 2 appendices