First-Year Female College Students Who Smoke Pot are More Likely to Hook Up

If you smoke pot, does that reveal something about your sexual behaviors?

A study has found female college students who smoke marijuana are more likely to “hook up” in their first year at school.

Titled “Predictors of Sexual Hookups: A Theory-Based, Prospective Study of First-Year College Women,” the study involved repeatedly surveying 483 first-year females about their habits, behaviors and hookups.

The study was conducted between Brown and Syracuse Universities and appeared in the May 2013 issue of Archives of Sexual Behavior.

“Hookups,” for the sake of the study, were defined as sexual encounters with someone outside of a committed relationship, short-term in nature and without the presence of a budding relationship.

“Students consuming only marijuana reported

more hookups that included vaginal sex.”

A history of binge drinking and other substance use was also recorded. While researchers found pot smokers and binge drinkers were each more likely to engage in oral sex, the students consuming only marijuana reported more hookups that included vaginal sex.

Around 25% of the students surveyed reported at least one hookup in their first year at school that escalated to at least oral or vaginal sex.

Another strong predictor was whether the subject had engaged in casual sex before arriving to college.

The study concluded that race and socioeconomic status were not predictive indicators of a female first-year student being sexually active.

According to lead author Robyn L. Fielder, “Our findings suggest hooking up during the first year of college is influenced by pre-college hookups, personality, behavioral intentions, the social and situational context, family background and substance use patterns — particularly marijuana use.”

From: Archives of Sexual Behavior.