Problematic Alcohol Use among Brazilian Women Who Have Sex with Women: A Respondent-Driven Sample

Bearing in mind the lack of studies involving women who have sex with women (WSW), our objective was to report the prevalence of alcohol-related problems among Brazilian WSW, as well as to describe associated factors. Three hundred and thirty-five women were recruited through web-based respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from January to August 2018. RDS weighted frequencies and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the RDS II method. A logistic regression was performed to ascertain the effects of depression, social support, discrimination toward sexual identity, and self-esteem on the likelihood of problematic alcohol use. Around a quarter of the sample (23.73%) was identified with a drinking problem. Notably, our findings revealed that older WSW face an increased risk of problematic alcohol use. Discrimination and self-esteem played a major role in problematic alcohol use.