Risky Business: Sexual Behavior and Cocaine Use Disorder

Individuals who use crack cocaine are at an increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission, primarily due to risky sexual behavior. Previous literature has suggested that both substance use and risky sexual behavior may be driven by similar processes; although, it is unclear which mechanism would be the optimal target in dual interventions for cocaine use disorder and sexual risk behavior. Two analyses examined five emotional and behavioral mechanisms that have been associated with drug use and risky sexual behavior. Results from the analyses suggested that emotion regulation, experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and delay discounting were not significantly related to risky sexual behavior or cocaine use severity among individuals with cocaine use disorder.