Ganja smoking and sex in Jamaica - abstract

ABSTRACT

The characteristics and risk status for STD infections of Jamaicans who smoked marijuana before having sex were investigated. The study comprised 2580 individuals, aged 15 to 49 years, who were selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique. The results indicated that the prevalence of marijuana smoking before sex was higher among men (12 per cent) than among women (2 per cent). More Jamaicans who smoked marijuana before sex were unemployed and unmarried, had lower education levels and lived in poorer neighbourhoods than those who did not smoke. In addition, more of them were regular alcohol drinkers, took hard drugs and gambled. When their sex behaviour were examined, there was no difference in condom use; however, more marijuana smokers had multiple sex partners, had had STD infections and began having sex at an earlier age than the non-smokers. More male smokers had sex with prostitutes, viewed ponographic material and were involved in partner swapping than the men who did not smoke marijuana. The prevalence of anal and oral sex was higher in women who smoke marijuana before sex compared to the female non-smokers. The results of logistic regression analyses indicated (after controlling for the demographic and behavoral variables mentioned above (OR = 2.3, p<0.01) that men who smoked marijuana before sex had an increased risk of having STD infections. No increased risk was found in women who smoked marijuana before sex. Because of the high prevalence of marijuana smoking among men, it is important that their increased risk for STDs be considered by health authorities in the planning of STD/AIDS control programmes (AU)