Although research has consistently demonstrated that condom use self-efficacy significantly predicts condom use, there has been little investigation of whether acute alcohol intoxication moderates this relationship. Because alcohol intoxication is often associated with increased sexual risk taking, further examination of such moderating effects is warranted. Using a community sample of young heterosexual women (n = 436) with a history of heavy episodic drinking, this alcohol administration experiment examined the effects of intoxication and condom use self-efficacy on women’s condom negotiation and future condom use intentions. After a questionnaire session, alcohol condition (control, .10% target peak BAL) was experimentally manipulated between subjects. Participants then read and responded to a hypothetical risky sexual decision-making scenario. SEM analyses revealed that alcohol intoxication directly decreased women’s intentions to use condoms in the future. Women with greater condom use self-efficacy had stronger intentions to engage in condom negotiation; however, this effect was moderated by intoxication. Specifically, the association between condom use self-efficacy and condom negotiation intentions was stronger for intoxicated women than for sober women. These novel findings regarding the synergistic effects of alcohol intoxication and condom use self-efficacy support continued prevention efforts aimed at strengthening women’s condom use self-efficacy, which may reduce even those sexual risk decisions made during states of intoxication.

The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) works to bridge the gap between research and practice and tested a web-delivered psychosocial intervention (the Therapeutic Education System, TES) in ten community treatment centers. Computer-assisted therapies, such as web-delivered interventions, may improve the consistency and efficiency of treatment for alcohol and drug use disorders. Prior to the start of the study, we surveyed counselors (n = 96) in participating treatment centers and assessed counselor attitudes, perceived social norms and intentions to use a web-delivered intervention. Analysis of the intention to adopt a web-delivered intervention assessed the influence of attitudes and perceived social norms. Perceived social norms were a significant contributor to clinician intention to adopt web-based interventions while attitude was not. To promote successful implementation, it may be helpful to create social norms supportive of computer-assisted therapies.

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While PM is related to lower quantity of alcohol consumed and problematic alcohol use, greater PM appears to be more strongly related to fewer drinks per week and less problematic alcohol use in the US, as compared to Sweden.