A study of sexual
risk factors among lesbians, bisexual women, and
heterosexual women in the September issue of the journal
Sexually Transmitted Diseases shows that
bisexual women are more likely to report having sex while
under the influence of alcohol or drugs, while
self-described lesbians are more likely than other
women to have sex with bisexual men. Self-identified
lesbians also were more likely to report condom use when
having sex with men than were either bisexual or
heterosexual women, according to the study.
Researchers
surveyed 1,304 women at 33 primary health care sites. A
total of 49% of the women identified as heterosexual,
40% as lesbian, and 11% as bisexual. Six hundred of
the women reported having sex with men, but only 51%
of those women reported ever using condoms. Heterosexual
women were at the highest risk for HIV infection as a
result of low condom-use levels. Lesbians were also
shown to have higher rates of sex with injection drug
users than other women.
"Women of all
sexual orientations, and particularly heterosexual
women, engaged in behaviors that put them at risk for HIV
and sexually transmitted diseases," the authors
conclude. (Advocate.com)