# Reducing Alcohol Use and Sexual Dysfunction in Survivors of Sexual Trauma

> **NIH NIH R34** · RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL · 2024 · $244,476

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Alcohol misuse and sexual assault are significant public health problems, especially among college
women. Heavy drinking is a primary risk factor for sexual victimization and increases risk for revictimization
and sexual dysfunction. Sex-related distress is also a common – yet rarely addressed – consequence of
sexual victimization. Women with a history of sexual victimization report drinking to cope with sex-related
distress; thereby increasing risk for revictimization. Despite strong associations between alcohol use, sexual
distress, and sexual victimization among college women, there are no interventions that concurrently target
these intersecting health outcomes. The proposed research will therefore develop an intervention that
integrates evidence-based alcohol intervention strategies, techniques to reduce sex-related distress, and
sexual assault risk reduction and resistance education with the goal of decreasing revictimization among
sexually active college women with a history of sexual victimization who report heavy drinking and sex-related
distress; a particularly high-risk group. Following a Stage 1A and 1B treatment development model, in Stage
1A information from informant interviews (N = 10) three focus groups (N = 30), stakeholder interviews (N = 6),
and a campus advisory board will guide the development of the integrated intervention. The integrated
intervention will be tested in an open trial (N = 20) in which interview and self-report methods will be utilized to
gather information regarding the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The intervention will be
revised and then evaluated in a Stage 1B randomized pilot trial involving 90 women assigned to the proposed
intervention or an attention and dose-matched control group. Women will be followed at 2- and 6- months
post-baseline. In the Revision Phase, we will conduct exit interviews and revise the intervention to prepare for
a larger clinical trial. Results of this research are expected to inform the development of interventions that not
only target the intersection of alcohol use and sexual assault among college women, but also promote the
overall sexual health of women. This integrated approach represents a shift in how these public health
problems are typically addressed and has the potential to be widely disseminated and tailored for other
populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10833710
- **Project number:** 5R34AA028402-03
- **Recipient organization:** RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Lindsay Marie Orchowski
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $244,476
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-05-01 → 2026-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10833710

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10833710, Reducing Alcohol Use and Sexual Dysfunction in Survivors of Sexual Trauma (5R34AA028402-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10833710. Licensed CC0.

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