141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

282415
Sexual and reproductive health behaviors of rural women who engage in sex while using methamphetamine

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Nicole Smith, MPH, CHES, CPH , Office of Population Research, Princeton University, West Windsor, NJ
Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH , Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Katie Barnhart, MPH, CHES , Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
Erika Collazo, MPH , Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Aleta Baldwin, MA , Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
Randolph D. Hubach, MPH , Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
Nicholas Goeders, PhD , Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Shreveport, LA
Elyse Cornett , Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Shreveport, LA
Research has shown that while using meth there is a higher likelihood of engaging in sex without a condom and having sex with multiple partners, behaviors that may lead to a higher risk of acquiring HIV and other STIs. Women use meth for a variety of reasons including to lower inhibitions and to increase energy, which often leads to prolonged and higher risk sexual activity. There is limited data on the contextual experiences of female meth users, specifically in regard to sexual function, genital pain and other consequences of prolonged sex such as vaginal bleeding and tearing, outcomes that could greatly contribute to STI/HIV acquisition. Working in collaboration with a rural community-based harm reduction outreach organization, women who had used meth in the past six months were recruited to complete a paper-based questionnaire on their experiences with sexual activity while high on meth. Using a validated scale on sexual function, women reported their perceptions of sex engaged in while using meth to sex that occurred without meth use. Participants also reported their sexual motivations, experiences of engaging in sex with multiple partners, and rated their concern about becoming pregnant or acquiring an STI. Rates of contraception and condom use, reasons for not using contraception, and experiences with genital pain are also reported. It is appears that women use meth in relation to sex for a variety of reasons. There is a need to better understand the influence of meth use on rural women's sexual and reproductive health behaviors.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Compare the influence of methamphetamine use on reproductive and sexual health behaviors among rural women Identify two impacts of methamphetamine use on sexual function that occur among rural women

Keywords: Reproductive Health, Sexual Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a co-principal investigator on this study. I have over 10 years in the field of women's reproductive and sexual health. I teach and conduct research for the Center for Sexual Health Promotion.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.