Home      Login

Abstract: 

This is the first of a two-part article discussing the measure of risky behaviors and the influence of alcohol. In Part I, below, the authors explain the interaction between alcohol and risky behaviors, and they detail the unmatched-count technique (UCT) to establish rates for such risk behaviors. They observe that, unlike other illnesses and diseases, HIV/AIDS is a disease whose only known prevention is behavioral. The risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS can be minimized by avoiding risky sex. Estimating the base rates of risky sex and risky sex after drinking proves difficult. The study described in this article uses the UCT to estimate base rates for sexual risk behaviors and sexual risk behaviors after drinking. The UCT does not require the participant to directly answer sensitive questions, which may provide more accurate reporting than other methods. The authors compare the findings with estimates found using conventional (non-UCT) methods.

Keywords: 

Affiliations:  1: Loyola Marymount University; 2: University of Southern California.