ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To provide an account of published literature on the association between alcohol use and sexual risk-taking, focusing on Latin America. METHODS: A search of MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, LILACS, and Cochrane databases identified 561 unique articles. After excluding those that were not directly relevant, 30 studies were retained for review. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies showed direct or indirect associations between alcohol abuse and unprotected/risky sex. Three studies, however, showed no association between these variables, suggesting that the public health message of safer sex may have been effective. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to identify factors and behaviors that could be modified to reduce the association between alcohol use disorders and risky sexual behavior.
OBJETIVO: Proporcionar una descripción de la bibliografía sobre la asociación entre el consumo de alcohol y la toma de riesgos sexuales, con foco en América Latina. MÉTODOS: Una búsqueda en las bases de datos MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, LILACS y Cochrane permitió seleccionar 561 artículos singulares. Tras excluir los que no eran pertinentes, se retuvieron 30 estudios para su análisis. RESULTADOS: Veintisiete estudios revelaron asociaciones directas o indirectas entre el consumo excesivo de alcohol y el sexo sin protección o de riesgo. Sin embargo, tres estudios no mostraron ninguna asociación entre estas variables, lo que sugiere que las recomendaciones de salud pública en pro de una actividad sexual de menor riesgo podrían haber sido eficaces. CONCLUSIONES: Se requiere llevar a cabo nuevas investigaciones para establecer los factores y los comportamientos que podrían ser objeto de modificación para reducir la asociación entre los trastornos por consumo de alcohol y el comportamiento sexual de riesgo.
Subject(s)
Humans , Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Risk-Taking , Unsafe Sex/statistics & numerical data , Latin America/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The effects of environmental temperature, presence and severity of El Niño, presence of cholera in the community, and interactions among these variables on the number of adult diarrhoeal patients attending the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, during 1991-1998, were evaluated. During 1991-1996, an increased number of visits to the hospital due to acute diarrhoea in the warmer months was observed. This periodic pattern was altered in 1997, when rising of the environmental temperature was observed in Lima secondarily associated with a strong El Niño event. A multivariate model was built in which environmental temperature and interaction between environmental temperature and presence of cholera predicted the number of adult patients with acute diarrhoea attending the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia. Monitoring of environmental temperature and presence of cholera may be used as a warning system to predict epidemics of diarrhoea in adults, which may have a tremendous impact on healthcare strategies and management of health services in general.