# Investigating the Influence of Alcohol Use and Partner Risk Heuristics on HIV Risk Behavior among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

> **NIH NIH F32** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $50,168

## Abstract

Project Summary:
Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) have high rates of alcohol use and HIV infection. High levels of
alcohol use among YMSM may contribute to HIV incidence because heavy drinking may be associated with
greater frequency of condomless anal sex (CAS). Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been
effective at reducing HIV infection, PrEP uptake remains low, and many who use PrEP are not optimally
adherent. Research examining the association between alcohol use and CAS has yielded mixed results, which
may be due to previously uninvestigated factors that interact with alcohol use to influence condom use
decisions. Those who consume alcohol may be more likely to engage in cognitive biases which involve
assumptions about “safety” of sexual partners based on characteristics that are inaccurate indicators of HIV
status (i.e., “risk heuristics”). Condom use is less likely with sexual partners who are perceived to be physically
attractive, healthy, familiar or known well, or trustworthy. Understanding how partner risk heuristics interact
with alcohol use to contribute to HIV risk behavior at the event level is essential to develop intervention
programs to reduce HIV incidence among YMSM. The proposed study will also investigate associations among
alcohol use, partner risk heuristics, and CAS among PrEP-using and non-PrEP using YMSM. The proposed
study will build on the infrastructure of a NIMHD-funded R01 daily diary study of PrEP-using YMSM and add a
sample of non-PrEP-using HIV-negative YMSM who will be recruited to participate in the daily diary study from
a NIDA-funded U01 longitudinal cohort study. The proposal will build upon the applicant’s existing program of
research on HIV risk behavior and provide the applicant with postdoctoral training in a field of research in
which she does not have experience (i.e., alcohol use). The proposal will also provide the applicant with
training in statistical methods for analyzing intensive longitudinal (i.e., daily diary) data and grantsmanship,
which are necessary to launch her career as an independent scientist. The applicant will learn how to analyze
daily dairy data using multilevel modeling techniques to test the within-persons associations of alcohol use,
partner risk heuristics, and their interaction, with HIV risk behavior. In sum, the goals of the proposed study are
to: (1) examine associations of partner risk heuristics and alcohol use on sexual risk behavior; and (2)
investigate associations between alcohol use, partner risk heuristics, and sexual risk behavior among PrEP-
using and non-PrEP-using YMSM. The proposed study represents formative research on the interactive roles
of alcohol use and partner risk heuristics in HIV risk behavior at the event level, which is an important first step
to develop interventions that aim to reduce both problematic drinking and the use of cognitive biases, such as
partner risk heuristics, as barriers to HIV prevention among YMSM. Further, test...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10026017
- **Project number:** 5F32AA028194-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Elissa Louise Sarno
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $50,168
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-13 → 2021-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10026017

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10026017, Investigating the Influence of Alcohol Use and Partner Risk Heuristics on HIV Risk Behavior among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men (5F32AA028194-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10026017. Licensed CC0.

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