Among Young Attendees at STD Clinics, Substance Abusers Report More Risky Sexual Behavior

Patients aged 15 to 24 of a public sexually transmitted disease clinic who had a substance abuse disorder (SUD) were two to three times as likely as those without an SUD to report multiple sexual partners and inconsistent condom use during the past year. Overall, 43 percent of the 448 patients who participated in the Pittsburgh clinic study had an alcohol or marijuana use disorder, and these young people also were 70 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease during their visit.