TY - JOUR
T1 - Unwanted Sex Due to Intoxication among Australians Aged 16–69 Years
AU - Carter, Allison
AU - Newman, Christy
AU - de Visser, Richard
AU - Yeung, Anna
AU - Rissel, Chris
AU - Grulich, Andrew
AU - Haire, Bridget
AU - Bateson, Deborah
AU - Vaughan, Cathy
AU - McGeechan, Kevin
AU - Donovan, Basil
AU - Richters, Juliet
AU - Guy, Rebecca
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Intoxication can be a factor in unwanted sex, but research on the extent of the issue in both women and men is limited. We assessed the prevalence, correlates, and 10-year time-trends of unwanted sex due to intoxication among a representative sample of 4,279 women and 3,875 men aged 16–69 years in Australia and considered how these vary by gender. In 2012–13, 16% of women and 10% of men reported ever having had a sexual experience when they “did not want to because they were too drunk or high at the time.” For both women and men, this was associated with younger age, bisexual activity, and reports of lifetime injection drug use, sexually transmitted infections, and forced sex. Among women only, it was associated with drinking above guideline levels and ever having terminated a pregnancy. Among men only, it was associated with current tobacco smoking, elevated psychosocial distress, and poor general health. Compared with 2001–02 data, fewer men reported unwanted intoxicated sex, while there were no changes for women as a whole. Interpreting these findings through an intersectional assemblage framework supports stronger understanding of the multiple factors influencing sexuality and substance use with implications for promoting equity, safety, and sexual health.
AB - Intoxication can be a factor in unwanted sex, but research on the extent of the issue in both women and men is limited. We assessed the prevalence, correlates, and 10-year time-trends of unwanted sex due to intoxication among a representative sample of 4,279 women and 3,875 men aged 16–69 years in Australia and considered how these vary by gender. In 2012–13, 16% of women and 10% of men reported ever having had a sexual experience when they “did not want to because they were too drunk or high at the time.” For both women and men, this was associated with younger age, bisexual activity, and reports of lifetime injection drug use, sexually transmitted infections, and forced sex. Among women only, it was associated with drinking above guideline levels and ever having terminated a pregnancy. Among men only, it was associated with current tobacco smoking, elevated psychosocial distress, and poor general health. Compared with 2001–02 data, fewer men reported unwanted intoxicated sex, while there were no changes for women as a whole. Interpreting these findings through an intersectional assemblage framework supports stronger understanding of the multiple factors influencing sexuality and substance use with implications for promoting equity, safety, and sexual health.
KW - alcohol
KW - sexual behavior
KW - sexual consent
KW - intoxication
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092655705&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/1002174
U2 - 10.1080/00224499.2020.1829530
DO - 10.1080/00224499.2020.1829530
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85092655705
VL - 58
SP - 74
EP - 85
JO - Journal of Sea Research
JF - Journal of Sea Research
SN - 1385-1101
IS - 1
ER -