The consumption of too much alcohol has been linked to a
behavior that is also deemed as a health risk: unsafe sex, which
is known to be the most common cause of HIV infection. The study
was led by Jurgen Rehm, director of social and epidemiological
research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in
Ontario, Canada. It indicated that the more alcohol is consumed
by the study participants, the more willing they became to
engage in unsafe sex. It was found that for each 0.1 milligrams
per milliliter increase in blood alcohol level, there was a
corresponding 5 percent increase in one’s likelihood to engage
in unsafe sex. Rehm made the following comment in a journal news
release: “Drinking has a causal effect on the likelihood to
engage in unsafe sex, and thus should be included as a major
factor in preventive efforts for HIV… This result also helps
explain why people at risk often show this behavior despite
better knowledge: Alcohol is influencing their decision
processes.” The study is published in the J