STI-protective self-efficacy and binge drinking in a sample of university students in the United Kingdom

Objective: Alcohol use has consistently been shown to be related to sexual risk-taking behaviours. To assess what factors may contribute to the sexual risk decision-making process, this study examined the relationships among alcohol use (frequency, quantity, and binge drinking), cognitive appraisals of sexual risk taking, sex-related alcohol expectancies, and STI-protective self-efficacy. Method: 138 sexually-active university students who drink alcohol completed scales measuring alcohol consumption, appraisals of consequences, sex-related alcohol expectancies, and items regarding STI-protective self-efficacy. Results: Increasing levels of binge drinking were negatively associated with STI-protective self-efficacy. A moderated mediation analysis revealed that for binge drinkers, stronger appraisals of the positive consequences for having sexual intercourse while intoxicated predicted lower STI-protective self-efficacy indirectly through increasing rates of sex-related alcohol risk expectancies. Conclusion: Findings provide evidence of a need to target binge drinkers and increase their STI-protective self-efficacy by shifting their focus from positive consequences to negative risk consequences of engaging in sexual intercourse while intoxicated.