The HASH study has recently finished recruiting for participants. However, we conducted this study to understand more about unique characteristics of mostly heterosexual women. We are curious if most heterosexual women have different expectancies and/or experiences of substance use in sexual situations than exclusively heterosexual and bisexual women.
In the study we examined the relationships between heterosexual and sexual minority women’s substance use habits, trauma history, and sexual wellness. During the experimental protocol, we measured both biological and behavioral data while participants are exposed to sex-related material. During the behavioral task, participants would press keys on a keyboard to increase or decrease their viewing time of still sexual images or images of food. During the video task, participants watched a short erotic film while researchers measured their pulse and vaginal arousal via ECG pads attached to the chest and ankle, and a vaginal photoplethysmograph. Participants also answered a survey battery including measures of substance use as well as their sexual, mental, and physical health.