Alcohol and illicit drug use and its infl uence on the sexual behavior of teenagers from Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Os achados prov??m de um estudo transversal de 5.981 estudantes de escolas p??blicas de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Avaliou-se a influ??ncia do uso de drogas sobre as pr??ticas sexuais. Dos rapazes com relacionamento casual que referiram ter utilizado drogas il??citas, 55,7% disseram usar preservativos de forma consistente (em todas as rela????es sexuais), enquanto entre os que nunca fizeram uso de tais subst??ncias, esse percentual foi de 65,4%. Entre os rapazes com relacionamento fixo, que utilizaram droga il??cita, o uso consistente de preservativos foi referido por 42,7%, ao passo que, para os que nunca fizeram uso dessas subst??ncias, esse percentual foi de 64,1%. No subgrupo dos rapazes com parceria fixa que nunca utilizaram drogas il??citas, o uso consistente do preservativo foi menos freq??ente entre os que utilizaram cigarro e/ou ??lcool do que entre os que n??o referiram este uso (60,7% vs. 71,1%). As mo??as apresentaram menor propor????o de uso consistente do preservativo do que os rapazes, independentemente do tipo de parceria, sem influ??ncia aparente dos padr??es de consumo. Os achados sugerem a necessidade de integrar a preven????o do uso de drogas ?? de infec????es sexualmente transmiss??veis/gravidez indesejada.This article summarizes the findings of a survey including 5,981 students from public schools in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The analysis assessed the influence of drug use on sexual practices. Among the boys engaged in relationships with casual partners who stated having used illicit drugs, 55.7% reported consistent condom use, as compared to 65.4% among those not reporting such habits. Among boys engaged in relationships with stable partners who reported illicit drug use, consistent condom use was reported by 42.7%, versus 64.1% among those not reporting such habits. In the subgroup of boys engaged in stable relationships who did not report illicit drug use, consistent condom use was less frequent among those that used alcohol/cigarettes, compared to those who did not drink or smoke (60.7% vs. 71.1%). Girls were less likely than boys to use condoms consistently, regardless of the nature of their relationships, without a noticeable influence of drug use. Policies to prevent drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and unplanned pregnancy should be fully integrated