Sexual Anxiety and Sexual Identities: Implications for Prescription Drug Misuse

• In Event: The Roles of Sexual and Gender Identities in Offending

Abstract

Although research indicates that sexual anxiety may differ among genders and sexualities, there is limited research on the effects of sexual anxiety on deviance and risk behaviors. Due to recent increases in prescription drug misuse, the current study examines the relationship between sexual anxiety and prescription drug misuse for men and women of different sexual identities (heterosexual, gay/lesbian, and bisexual/queer/questioning) in a sample of young adults (ages 18 to 29) who misused prescription drugs. We use logistic and Poisson regression to predict frequency of use, misuse during sex, and prescription drug dependence. We find first that gender and sexual identity predict sexual anxiety among this sample, and secondly that the intersection of sexual anxiety and gender/sexual identity predict several prescription drug misuse outcomes. Further, these relationships vary by partnership status (whether a respondent is single or in a relationship). These findings demonstrate the importance of gender and sexual identity in deviance research and have implications for the direction of intervention and prevention efforts.

Authors

• Laura Frizzell, The Ohio State University

• Mike Vuolo, The Ohio State University

• Brian C. Kelly, Purdue University