Higher levels of alcohol use among men who have sex with men (MSM) is closely associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), finds a study that noted over half of MSM experienced IPV, and just under half of MSM perpetrating IPV themselves, including physical, sexual, emotional or HIV-related IPV.
In “Associations Between Alcohol Use and Intimate Partner Violence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men”, published in LGBT Health, Davis Alissa, Kaighobadi Farnaz, Stephenson Rob, Rael Christine, and Sandfort Theodorus noted that although alcohol use is a known trigger of IPV in opposite sex relationships, less is known about alcohol use and IPV perpetration and victimization in same-sex couples. They therefore examined associations between alcohol use and different types of IPV victimization and perpetration among MSM.
The authors found that, among 189 participants, 103 (54.5%) experienced at least one incidence of IPV perpetrated by a regular partner, while 92 (48.7%) reported having perpetrated IPV against a regular partner in the past 12 months.
“Higher levels of alcohol use were significantly associated with (1) physical/sexual and HIV-related IPV victimization by a regular partner, (2) physical/sexual, monitoring, and controlling IPV victimization by a casual partner, (3) physical/sexual, emotional, controlling, and HIV-related IPV perpetration against a regular partner, and (4) physical/sexual and emotional IPV perpetration against a casual partner,” the authors noted.
Since there may already be solutions available to deal with how alcohol use triggers IPV in opposite sex relationships, the association of high levels of alcohol use with different types of IPV perpetration and IPV victimization among MSM also suggests “a need for targeted services that address the co-occurring issues of alcohol use and IPV” in this population, the authors ended.
