Marijuana and Alcohol Use Both Linked to Sexual Risk Behavior in Bahamian Adolescents
Among 2,572 Bahamian secondary school students, both alcohol and marijuana use were independently associated with increased likelihood of engaging in sexual behavior, with 7.3% of males and 1.7% of females reporting recent marijuana use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
This study examined substance use and sexual behavior among over 2,500 secondary school students in Nassau, The Bahamas. Nearly half of both boys (46.5%) and girls (44.8%) reported alcohol consumption. Marijuana use was much less common overall but showed a stark gender difference: 7.3% of males versus only 1.7% of females reported use in the past 6 months.
Sexual experience also showed a gender gap, with 43% of males and 16% of females reporting vaginal sex. After controlling for age and gender, both alcohol and marijuana use were independently associated with increased likelihood of engaging in sexual behavior in the past 6 months.
The authors emphasize that this represents a global correlation rather than evidence that substance use causes sexual behavior, and call for longitudinal research to understand the temporal relationship.
Key Numbers
2,572 students (56% female). Mean age 14.2 years. Alcohol use: 46.5% males, 44.8% females. Marijuana use: 7.3% males, 1.7% females. Ever had vaginal sex: 43% males, 16% females. Being older, male, and using alcohol or marijuana all independently predicted recent sexual behavior.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional baseline survey from a longitudinal randomized controlled evaluation of a school-based HIV prevention program. 2,572 government secondary school students in New Providence, The Bahamas. Mean age 14.2 years. Logistic regression analysis controlling for age and gender.
Why This Research Matters
In island nations where HIV and sexually transmitted infections remain significant health concerns, understanding the relationship between substance use and sexual risk behavior helps inform prevention programs. The finding that marijuana use is independently associated with sexual behavior supports integrating substance use education into sexual health programs.
The Bigger Picture
This study supports the growing evidence that substance use and sexual risk behavior cluster together in adolescent populations worldwide. Effective prevention programs need to address these behaviors as interconnected rather than in isolation.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine whether substance use leads to sexual behavior, vice versa, or both reflect shared risk factors. Self-reported data from school-based surveys may undercount sensitive behaviors. Only government school students were included.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does marijuana use precede sexual debut, follow it, or do both reflect underlying risk-taking tendencies?
- ?Would combined substance use and sexual health prevention programs be more effective than addressing each separately?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 7.3% of male and 1.7% of female Bahamian students reported marijuana use
- Evidence Grade:
- Reasonably large school-based sample with multivariate analysis, but cross-sectional design and self-reported data limit causal conclusions.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2016 using baseline data from an HIV prevention program. Substance use patterns in Bahamian youth may have changed.
- Original Title:
- Cross-sectional data on alcohol and marijuana use and sexual behavior among male and female secondary school students in New Providence, The Bahamas.
- Published In:
- International journal of adolescent medicine and health, 28(2), 133-40 (2016)
- Authors:
- Kaljee, Linda, Wang, Bo(3), Deveaux, Lynette, Lunn, Sonja, Rolle, Glenda, Villar, Maria Elena, Stanton, Bonita
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01189
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is marijuana use linked to sexual behavior in teenagers?
In this study of Bahamian adolescents, marijuana use was independently associated with increased likelihood of sexual behavior after controlling for age and gender, though the study cannot determine the direction of causation.
How common is marijuana use among Bahamian youth?
7.3% of male and 1.7% of female secondary school students reported marijuana use in the past 6 months, much lower than alcohol use rates of around 45% for both genders.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01189APA
Kaljee, Linda; Wang, Bo; Deveaux, Lynette; Lunn, Sonja; Rolle, Glenda; Villar, Maria Elena; Stanton, Bonita. (2016). Cross-sectional data on alcohol and marijuana use and sexual behavior among male and female secondary school students in New Providence, The Bahamas.. International journal of adolescent medicine and health, 28(2), 133-40. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2014-0079
MLA
Kaljee, Linda, et al. "Cross-sectional data on alcohol and marijuana use and sexual behavior among male and female secondary school students in New Providence, The Bahamas.." International journal of adolescent medicine and health, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2014-0079
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cross-sectional data on alcohol and marijuana use and sexual..." RTHC-01189. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/kaljee-2016-crosssectional-data-on-alcohol
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.