Risky Sexual Behaviour and Sexual Victimization among Young People with Risky Substance Use in Europe—Perspectives from Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Germany

Christiane Baldus (), Tobias H. Elgán, Veerle Soyez, Hanne Tønnesen, Nicolas Arnaud, Ladislav Csemy and Rainer Thomasius
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Christiane Baldus: German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence (DZSKJ), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Tobias H. Elgán: STAD, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden
Veerle Soyez: Department of Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Hanne Tønnesen: Clinical Health Promotion Centre, Lund University, 22185 Lund, Sweden
Nicolas Arnaud: German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence (DZSKJ), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Ladislav Csemy: Public Mental Health Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, 25067 Klecany, Czech Republic
Rainer Thomasius: German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence (DZSKJ), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 21, 1-21

Abstract: Background: Research indicates that among the risks associated with young people’s alcohol and illicit drug use are sexual risks. However, insights into co-occurrence of substance use and sexual risks in adolescent samples and possible differences across countries are limited. Methods: A sample of 1449 adolescents from Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Germany screened positive for risky alcohol/illicit drug use in a web-based intervention against alcohol and illicit drug use. They also reported incidents of sex while being drunk and/or high on drugs, condomless sex on these occasions, and sexualized touching and sexual victimization while being drunk or high on drugs. Results: In the sample, 21.5% of the participants reported sexualized touching, 9.9% being victim to sexual assault, and 49.8% having had sex while being drunk and/or high on drugs; of the latter, 48.3% had condomless sex. Reports on having had sex while being drunk and/or high on drugs were associated with higher levels of past 30-day binge drinking. Being a victim of sexual assault was associated with past 30-day binge drinking only in young men. Conclusion: When devising preventive interventions against risky substance use in adolescents, an additional focus should be set on integrating steps against sexual risks.

Keywords: adolescence; binge drinking; illicit drug use; sexual victimization; sexual risks; condom use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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