Study Confirms Why Cocaine Use Leads to Unsafe Sex
Cocaine is a stimulant and the effects of the drug induce feelings of euphoria, heightened
energy and hyper-alertness. Cocaine usage has been associated to high rates of impulsive
behavior, including unprotected sex. Through a study funded by grants from the National
Institute of Drug Abuse, Johns Hopkins researchers were able to conduct a study of people
confirmed to be regular users of cocaine to evaluate the likelihood of unprotected sex while
under the influence of the drug.
Matthew Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says, “Our study affirms and may help explain why
people who regularly use cocaine are more willing to partake in risky sex when under the
influence of cocaine, and underscores why public health officials and physicians should be
ensuring that cocaine users are supplied with condoms to prevent the spread of sexually
transmitted disease”.