Researchers have identified the association between the use of cocaine
and sexual behavior as an important risk factor for HIV infection and
have attempted to clarify the nature of this association. Several
lines of research have suggested that increased sexual behavior
during episodes of cocaine intoxication may relate to direct
pharmacological effects of the drug (e.g., increase in sexual desire),
whereas others have pointed to the importance of factors related to the
context of drug use (e.g., opportunities for sexual behavior,
expectations about the effects of the drug, social norms). A study published in a recent issue of
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Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology explored the perceived effects of cocaine and heroin on sexual
behavior, as well as the social context of drug use as a function of
drug type (cocaine vs. heroin), among 46 inner-city drug users who
reported a history of regular use of both crack cocaine and heroin.
Results indicated that, compared to heroin, cocaine had negative
effects on participants' perceived sexual desire and performance.
Despite such effects on sexual behavior, cocaine was more
frequently used with an intimate partner than heroin. Furthermore,
participants did not differ in the extent to which they used the two
drugs in other social contexts (e.g., with friends, family, or
neighbors). These preliminary results suggest that the relationship
between cocaine and sexual behavior, especially among long-term cocaine
users, may be facilitated by opportunities for sex that exist in the
context of cocaine use, rather than by the pharmacological effects of
the drug.
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